Bessie Smith - Do Your Duty

[jmconroy1031]

Bessie just liked to get her drink on, I have all her cd's, wish I had the the original records

[oker59]

Bessie Smith was violent? Never heard of that before! I've read various things from the liner notes in my Bessie Smith box sets to the wiki; and, I don't recall anyboyd quite indicating that!

[MarciousBR]

A SINGER...............

[ponderingpundit]

Yes ~ way. I'll be 81 this month; 17th to be exact for those who care to send flowers, cards, or other mementos such as cash. Bessie may have had character flaws but she still is the greatest.

[hotdogman67]

This song is awesome! =D

[lindan96]

Wonderful blues... Janis Joplin's influence....

[theoriginalbadbob]

Bessie's last recordings, including "Gimme a Pigfoot," were recorded in a particular studio in New York City on a Friday. The following Monday, Billie Holiday recorded her very first sides in the same studio. Benny Goodman was with Billie, as well.

[oker59]

@theoriginalbadbob

gimme a pig . . . foot; YEaaHHH!

[Lechekoopa]

Bessie makes me feel like living my life more. Thank you, Bessie. Bless your grand soul.

[SaveMe1smile]

damn Queen Latifah could play her so well I think !!

[mmeibos]

who else would've loved to actually have been there when she sung this... i was born in the wrong age !!!

[unclejohn2007]

i bow for posting this lost jem .. thanks edmun

[ponderingpundit]

@bopsieboy

No wonder! Here they are: Frank Newton, trumpet; Jack Teagarden, trombone; Benny Goodman, clarinet; Chu Berry, tenor sax; Buck Washington, piano; Bobby Johnson, guitar: Billy Taylor, string bass, recorded NY on 11-24-1933 OKeh records.

[jhb134]

@ponderingpundit - Thanks, pondering, for the personnel. Frankie Newton is one of the great, forgotten trumpeters of the Swing Era. Actually, I prefer Bessie's recordings with the great trumpeter/cornetist Joe Smith, but Bessie shines thru ANY recording, very much.

[Patequi]

Her name is spelled Bessie

[ponderingpundit]

Damn it, I'm 80 and trying to respond to this recording. I was introduced to Bessie in 1950 with this recording which we played over and over. She's a one and only. Listen to her background musicians; I don't think such a combination of excellence has has ever been duplicated.

[bopsieboy]

@ponderingpundit

Absolutely, the background musicians are awesome!!

[sailorman3725]

[Listen to her background musicians; I don't think such a combination of excellence has has ever been duplicated.]

I have the Album the musician are superb just isolate each one & listern

[nfsrf]

@ponderingpundit

80?

no way!

[RayWilliamJohansen]

@ponderingpundit

are you really 80 ?

[ponderingpundit]

@RayWilliamJohansen  No longer, I'm 81 now! And still playing Bessie.

[MrMikenotts01]

@RayWilliamJohansen are you really 81? not being funny - I'm 59, my ma is 91, still going strong, keep the faith!

[ptrh07]

Very nice. I like it. Good rhytm and swing.

[kitgoatfrog]

I love bessie more than words can express

[conewells]

Is ANYONE in Hollywood ever gonna make a movie about this fabulous woman?

[NathalieVicious]

@conewells SHE sure deserves a movie!!!! I can't understand why a movie hasn't been made about her yet?!

[dua72]

@NathalieVicious .Tell it I was thinking the same thing. It could at least be a TV movie on TVone or Lifetime!

[cemmi2]

I think this was Big T Chu and Frankie Newton?

[howlingsin]

wonderful ,wonderful ,wonderful ..

[couturesixfour]

T.O.B.A. was phrased Toung On Black Asses for the ill treatment of black performers!! i love Bessie...not Bess-y...

[eludidos]

que cool

[dra432889]

♫•*♪♪~ Fantastic! Thank you for posting and such a great quality, and the info is excellent! 10* ;-)) Angie

[MahoganyArchives]

Oh my goodness I've been listening to Billie Holiday's version of this forever and read where she recorded it in tribute to Bessie. Can anyone help me get an original 78rpm copy of this record please? Thanks so much for posting.

[chaparritachiquitita]

A Julio Cortázar le habría encantado escucharla otra vez.

[ehidop]

該死種族歧視下的犧牲者

[supermabel1]

Recorded for OKeh 24 november 1933, her last recording session.

[mrgoodvibrations]

I like this song, see was great, "Queen of the Blues!"

[Mapleholic]

hehe duty

[jwwindsor]

In the photo Bessy is actually spelled Bessie......... Bessie Smith.

[SaxPlaya4]

It was fantastic that Bessy Smith and "Ma" Rainey worked together. Those two ladies play a song that will last forever.

[pikashipper4eva]

when was this song recorded

[bellpawt]

The only person from the past to show me sheer humanness so directly ..God they were just like us !

[hoagiesandi]

reel bootifull an the fella who play the bugle iss great super shtuff ---kilby----

[irenecab]

se recordará por siempre

[irenecab]

siempre se rescordará a esta estrella de la musica

[emotionalsugar]

she was born on April !5, 1894. Nobody is exactly sure, but thats what she decided to go with

[sousane]

she is amazing!!

[louloubeb]

Beauty and what a wondefull voice----

[OGKaine]

this is my great grandma from my dads side

R.I.P

[DarqueBeauty]

Seriously?? Wow...any other talented people in your family because this woman was amazing!

[OGKaine]

besides myself i dont know about too many others all i know is that's my father's father's mother

sure wish i coulda met her though. her music is timeless and i love it.

[DarqueBeauty]

Well consider yourself blessed to have such talent run in your family. Maybe later on down the line, it will make an appearance again! :)

[OGKaine]

i do consider myself blessed

and later on down the line who knows it maybe so.

[princessally15]

oh my gosh. i love her and her music. im working on a report about her, thats what lead me here. she was a powerful women who came from a life with little hope and made herself into a legend.

[OGKaine]

yes she was. her music is still timeless it will forever be timeless and just to help u out so u know

she was considered a has been because she died before she made her comeback but when she died in the following decades her album sales skyrocketed.

[chetmcgee]

do you know who sang taint nobody's business on the lady sings the blues soundtrack?: it was neither bessie nor billie, and certainly not ross. was just wondering if you knew.

[OGKaine]

nah man im just discovering all my great grandmothers music these days

[MahoganyArchives]

Yes it was Blinky Williams and it was released in extreme limited edition on 45rpm single. You can also find it on the orginal double LP from Lady Sings The Blues soundtrack from 1972. Hope this helps. Now can anyone help me get an orginal copy of this Bessie song? Please...

[KhemuLuxons]

Correction, she had an adopted son, he might be the descendant of this son.

[Lizx101]

For real? That's so cool! And also RIP

[OGKaine]

yeah foreal

[xujessexa]

first time ive heard her but shes really really good

[Tryreadme]

She wasn't refused from a closer hospital. The accident took place outside Coahoma, a town which was too small to have it's own hospital, the next closest town with a hospital was Clarksdale, Mississippi, where she was taken to. The story about her being rejected from a whites-only hospital was propaganda that got out of hand, and became so-called 'history'.

[monicarwells2]

This picture is absolutely GORGEOUS.Didnt she spit on somebody?? She was a bisexual too huh? lol she was a cutee in this pic but the others were a bit different. LEGENDARY.SWEETNESS

[Corrie121]

Fantastic!!! This one goes straight to my favourites.

Sincere thanks for posting.

[OnThisDayInHistory]

Sep 26 1937 The Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith, sustains grave injuries in a traffic accident on US Highway 61. She is taken to a colored hospital in Clarksdale, Mississippi and her arm amputated. Smith dies later that day from blood loss. According to legend, Bessie had been refused treatment by a closer, whites-only hospital.

[kingoliver45]

whos the trumpet or cornet man hes good?

[Jairox99]

great song by a great lady! lol thnx for posting!