The Jazz Collectors Series copyright 1967. Bessie Smith, nicknamed the "Empress of the Blues", was a highly influential African-American blues singer during the Jazz Age and the 1930s. Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Smith was mentored by blues singer Gertrude “Ma” Rainey and inspired to sing about the Black American experience. Her powerful voice and emotional performances made her the highest-paid Black entertainer of her time. (Wikipedia)