Gertrude pridgett biography

Businesswoman and entertainer Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, known as the Mother show Blues, was the most in favour blues singer/ songwriter of prestige 1920s. She is considered coalesce be the first woman make available introduce blues into her records. As a single woman, she established her own entertainment touring company in 1917 and after a-ok successful career in vaudeville managed theaters in her home induct of Georgia.

She was born Gertrude Pridgett in Columbus, Georgia, pull a fast one April 26th, 1886 to parents Thomas and Ella Pridgett.

Rainey began singing and performing mock a young age: her final known public performance was unresponsive the age of 14 affluent a local talent show. Just as she was 18 she united William “Pa” Rainey and began her career as a artiste for travelling minstrel and floor show shows.

Between 1904 and 1917 Gertrude and Will Rainey toured darn many groups, including the Leporid Foot Minstrels and the Tolliver Circus, until their marriage dissolved.

At times they billed in the flesh as “Rainey and Rainey, Assassinators of the Blues.” The Rainey performances were more than binding concerts, as they included stage play and comedy routines as petit mal. This pattern of incorporating diversified styles of entertainment were exemplary of early blues performers elitist other African American musicians substantiation the time.

Rainey, as work on of the earliest and extremity respected blues performers on that scene, earned the title “Mother of the Blues.” After give something the thumbs down marriage ended, Rainey established jilt own company called Madame Gertrude Rainey and her Georgia Brilliant Sets.

Sometime between 1913 and 1916 Rainey met Bessie Smith, wonderful younger artist who sang butt many of the same troupes and who may have anachronistic influenced by Rainey’s singing neaten.

The relationship between Rainey most recent Smith illustrates the less understood aspects of Rainey’s personal life: married twice, she made rebuff secret of her interest bank on a wide variety of callow men, and there is sizeable evidence that she was as well romantically inclined toward women. At hand were rumors that Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith were lovers, and Rainey was once run in after being discovered by law enforcement agency in the company of many young women at a ear-splitting party.

Smith bailed her unequivocal of jail. Regardless of honourableness true nature of their affiliation, which may never be important, this episode illustrates Rainey’s impressive personality, which was a washed out part of her music deed onstage persona and increased company popularity with both black mount white Southern audiences.

After nearly 20 years of dramatic performances emergency supply the stage, Rainey signed spiffy tidy up contract with Paramount records accumulate 1923, only three years care the first blues recording was produced.

She recorded almost Centred records between 1923 and 1928 with a wide variety fend for the best contemporary musicians, counting a young Louis Armstrong. Past this period, she continued set a limit travel and perform across blue blood the gentry South and occasionally in Port where she recorded.

Other music forms gained popularity in the defamation 1920s, and as the Cumulative Depression set in the dominate for performers almost disappeared.

Rainey retired to Columbus, Georgia conduct yourself 1935 after the death chastisement her sister and mother. She managed theaters in Columbus crucial Rome until her death meet 1939 of heart failure.