Bessie Jones (American singer)

Bessie Jones
Bessie Jones
	Jones in 1973
Background information
Birth name	Mary Elizabeth Jones
Born	February 8, 1902; Smithville, Georgia, U.S.
Died	July 17, 1984 (aged 82); Brunswick, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	Gospel, folk

Mary Elizabeth Jones (February 8, 1902 – July 17, 1984)^[1] was an American gospel and folk singer credited with helping to bring folk songs, games and stories to wider audiences in the 20th century. Alan Lomax, who first encountered Jones on a field recording trip in 1959, said, "She was on fire to teach America. In my heart, I call her the Mother Courage of American Black traditions."^[2]

^ Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues - A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 100. ISBN 978-0313344237.
^ Jones, Bessie; Hawes, Bess (1972). Step it Down: Games, Plays, Songs, and Stories from the Afro-American Heritage. University of Georgia Press. ISBN 9780820309606. Retrieved March 7, 2015.

[bare-1] Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues - A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 100. ISBN 978-0313344237.

[Step_It_Down-2] Jones, Bessie; Hawes, Bess (1972). Step it Down: Games, Plays, Songs, and Stories from the Afro-American Heritage. University of Georgia Press. ISBN 9780820309606. Retrieved March 7, 2015.

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