Mamie Smith | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Mamie Robinson |
Born | [1] Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | May 26, 1891
Died | September 16, 1946 Staten Island, New York, U.S. | (aged 55)
Genres | Blues, vaudeville |
Occupation | Singer |
Mamie Smith (née Robinson; May 26, 1891[1] – September 16, 1946) was an American singer. As a vaudeville singer, she performed in multiple styles, including jazz and blues. In 1920, she entered blues history as the first African-American artist to make vocal blues recordings. Willie "The Lion" Smith (no relation) described the background of these recordings in his autobiography Music on My Mind (1964).