Bessie Smith

Bessie Smith was an American blues singer. Nicknamed The Empress of the Blues, she was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s. She is often regarded as one of the greatest singers of her era and, along with Louis Armstrong, a major influence on other jazz vocalists.

The 1900 census indicates that Smith was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in July 1892, a date provided by her mother. The 1910 census showed her as age 16. A birth date of April 15, 1894, appears on subsequent documents and was observed by the entire Smith family. Census data also contribute to controversy about the size of her family. The 1870 and 1880 censuses report three older halfsiblings, while later interviews with Smiths family and contemporaries did not include them among her siblings.

Source: Wikipedia