Victoria Spivey - Detroit Moan (1936)

Victoria Spivey (1908 - 1976)

got her start in music at age twelve when she began playing piano in a movie theatre in Houston, Texas. From there she expanded her musical career to playing in saloons and whorehouses. She was was a big fan of the Blues singer Ida Cox and modeled her own career after Cox's. In 1926 at the the age of twenty she travelled to St. Louis where Okeh records was on a field trip looking for new acts to record.

In 1929 she played a small role in King Vidor's early film musical "Hallelujah". As the Blues craze and the record industry in general hit the skids in the early 1930s, Spivey somehow managed to keep recording and performing unlike almost all of the other Classic Blues singers. She expanded into playing in vaudeville musical revues, including the acclaimed Hellzapoppin' Revue in New York City and recorded and toured with Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra. Spivey was constantly working, playing countless one-night stands throughout the 1930s and 1940s, but by the l950s, Spivey had left show business, but continued singing in the church choir in her home in Brooklyn.

Victoria returned to show business in 1962 when she formed her own record company, Spivey Records. Her first record on the label featured Bob Dylan as an accompanist. So, Spivey's career began again in the early 1960s; she began performing in folk and blues festivals and in nightclubs in and around New York City and continued to record for the rest of her life.


Victoria Spivey and the Chicago Four - Detroit Moan (1936)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Victoria
• Spivey
• 1936
• 30's

[Dzormagen]

Thumbs up if Ron Artest sent you here!!

[TheRainbowClintons]

RON RON

[camking88]

@Dzormagen Ron Artest?

[bageleaterkkjji]

queensbridge

[05Toamasina1938]

Great session with Lee COLLINS and the great pianist Harry Freddie Shayne

[abdulwalee]

To really learn about the seniment of this song one should check out Jeremy Williams book intitled images of America Detroit The Black Bottom Community it was sad the way this country was in those days. what it had to be like for black people in this city and Black bottom / paradise vally was the place for Blacks in those days.

[Bumblebee38]

The Great and underrated LEE COLLINS on Tpt ; Arnett Nelson clt, JH SHAYNE ., pno ,and John Lindsay sbs

[Azizip17]

Sorry, I meant also to praise that band that played during this song. They also sound Great! It's hard to believe that this was recorded in 1936. Thanks to dmundusrex who posted this video and included such a good summary for Victoria Spivey!

[Azizip17]

Wow! I've read about Victoria Spivey but I'd never heard her sing. Thank goodness for YouTube! What a great singer! And the sound quality of this video is so sharp & clear.

Thanks for posting this video!!

[jayraskin]

I just discovered her yesterday. She may be the best singer I have ever heard.