Bessie's Blues

Evening Music | May 6, 2010

Following the death of both of her parents, Bessie Smith and her brothers and sisters were left in the care of her older sister. In order to make money, she and her brother would perform on the streets. By the early 1920s, her career had kicked off as she performed in black theaters all along the east coast, becoming the biggest headliner on the Theater Owners Booking Association circuit and the highest-paid African American entertainer of her day. Unfortunately her career was cut short by a car accident that resulted in her death at age 43. Tonight we hear her sing George Brooks’s Hard Driving Papa. Also, music from Scott Joplin and Kenji Bunch.

Music Playlists

View WNYC's music playlists dating back to 2001 (full playlists are generally posted the day after broadcast). For playlist inquiries, please contact Listener Services via email or at 646-829-4000.

The first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

WNYC is funded by sponsors and member donations

WNYC Homepage - Top Stories

Why single domestic violence survivors can't get shelter in NYC despite empty beds

More than half the callers to the city’s domestic violence hotline are single people, but few are getting shelter.

Gothamist |

The History Wars and America at 250, with the Historian Jill Lepore

Three prominent historians discuss a national milestone arriving in the midst of a politically charged conflict over how Americans see the past. It’s a “goat rodeo,” Lepore says.

The New Yorker Radio Hour |

What Péter Magyar's Election in Hungary Says About 'Strongmen' Today

Andrew Marantz talks about the new prime minister of Hungary, and OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman.

The Brian Lehrer Show |

Mayor Mamdani says he's balanced NYC's budget

WNYC News |

How they handle crises in Brownsville, often without police

At least twice a year, nonprofit workers from the neighborhood spend a week calming disputes and responding to most 311 and 911 calls on certain blocks in the neighborhood.