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“We need, in every community, a group of angelic troublemakers.” Here are just a few.
Gertrude Pridgett “Ma” Rainey (1886—1939)
Known by many names — the “Mother of the Blues”, the “Songbird of the South”, the “Gold-Neck Woman of the Blues” — one thing is for sure, Rainey had pipes. After her talent was discovered by Paramount in 1923, she was among the first generation of blues singers to be recorded. Some of Rainey's lyrics contain references to being queer, such as the 1928 song “Prove It on Me”:
“They said I do it, ain't nobody caught me /
Sure got to prove it on me /
Went out last night with a crowd of my friends /
They must've been women / 'cause I don't like no men.”
Another line boasts:
“It's true I wear a collar and a tie / Talk to the gals just like any old man.”
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Bessie Smith (1894—1937)
As the most popular blues singer of the 1920s, the “Empress of the Blues” hardly needs any introduction. She went from busking on the streets of Chattanooga, TN, to performing at the most famous club venues in the country. She would ultimately become the highest-paid black entertainer of her time. Three of her original recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Her marriage to Jack Gee was a notoriously volatile relationship, with both partners not being entirely faithful. They would later divorce, due in part to Gee not being able to tolerate Smith's affairs with other women.
The “big three” of 1920s blues — Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, and Lucille Bogan — were all queer women. Bogan became known for her sexually explicit lyrics (eyes emoji). For example, one of her songs describes living as a B.D. or “bull dyke” with lyrics like:
“Comin' a time, B.D. women, they ain't gonna need no men / They got a head like a sweet angel and they walk just like a natural man.”
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