Mamie Smith
Mamie Smith | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Mamie Robinson |
| Born | May 26, 1891 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | August 16, 1946 (aged 55) Staten Island, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Blues, vaudeville |
| Occupation | Singer |
Mamie Smith (née Robinson; May 26, 1891 – August or 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).