Although most of Rainey's songs that mention sexuality refer to love affairs with men, some of her lyrics contain references to lesbianism or bisexuality,[27] such as the 1928 song "Prove It on Me": They said I do it, ain't nobody caught me. Born and raised in Columbus, Georgia, Ma Rainey (born Gertrude Pridgett) began singing professionally when she was a teenager, performing with a number of minstrel and medicine shows. Born Gertrude Pridgett in Columbus, GA, in 1886, Ma Rainey is widely regarded as among the best of the early 20th-century blues singers. It was also rumored that Smith once bailed Rainey out of jail. ", In 1923, Rainey also released "Moonshine Blues" with Lovie Austin, and "Yonder Comes the Blues" with Louis Armstrong. She died of an accidental drug overdose in 1970. However, Ma did marry twice — to men. [26] Rainey's career was not immediately affected; she continued recording for Paramount and earned enough money from touring to buy a bus with her name on it. Before Fame. As the popularity of blues music increased, she became well known. Rainey recorded with Thomas Dorsey and Louis Armstrong, and she toured and recorded with the Georgia Jazz Band. Her parents, Thomas and Ella (Allen) Pridgett, were minstrel performers. ", In August 1924, Rainey — along with the 12 string guitar of Miles Pruitt and an unknown second guitar accompanist — recorded the eight-bar blues number "Shave 'Em Dry." Perhaps the most transformative actress in her field, Davis’s Ma Rainey explodes on the screen with a breath-taking range of emotion and nuanced manipulation. Songs without any twelve-bar or eight-bar structure are classified as non-blues. She toured until 1935, when she largely retired from performing and continued as a theater impresario in her hometown of Columbus, Georgia until her death four years later. "[30] At the time, an ad for the song embraced the genderbending outlined in the lyrics and featured Rainey in a three-piece suit, mingling with women while a police officer lurks nearby. In her 1999 book Blues Legacies and Black Feminism, Angela Davis wrote that Rainey's songs are full of women who “explicitly celebrate their right to conduct themselves as expansively and even as undesirably as men. Blues Singer. She was born on April 26 in GA. [A] A story later developed that Rainey kidnapped Smith, forced her to join the Rabbit's Foot Minstrels, and taught her to sing the blues; the story was disputed by Smith's sister-in-law Maud Smith. [23] She was accompanied by the bandleader and pianist Thomas Dorsey and the band he assembled, the Wildcats Jazz Band. Ma Rainey Biography. [31], Ma Rainey and Pa Rainey adopted a son named Danny. 1900 Census for Columbus Ward 5, Muscogee, Georgia, District 4, Enumeration district 91, Sheet 16A, line 20, 'Prigett, Gertrude, Sept 1882, 17. In Black Pearls, Daphane Harrison praised Rainey as the first great blues stage singer: "The good-humored, rollicking Rainey loved life, loved love, and most of all loved her people. She helped to pioneer a genre that appealed to North and South, rural and urban audiences. Rainey's music has served as inspiration for such poets as Langston Hughes. In 1904, she married William "Pa" Rainey and she changed her name to "Ma" Rainey. The Mother of the Blues first appeared on stage in 1900. "Ma Rainey probably did pass some of her singing experience on to Bessie," explained Chris Albertson in the liner notes to Giants of Jazz, "but the instruction must have been rudimentary. Ma Rainey may not have been the first woman to sing the blues, but she might as well have. [7] However, the 1900 census indicates that she was born in September 1882 in Alabama, and researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc suggest that her birthplace was in Russell County, Alabama. Makes the wind blow all the while. ", W.C. In this episode of "Pamela Rose presents Wild Women of Song," Pamela discusses the story of the "Mother of the Blues" - Ma Rainey. She later claimed that she was first exposed to blues music around 1902. During Rainey’s five-year recording career at Paramount she cut nearly ninety sides, most of which dealt with the subjects of love and sexuality—bawdy themes that often earned her the billing of “Mada… She was well recognized for her powerful vocal abilities, energetic disposition, majestic phrasing, and a "moaning" style of singing. (41) view all William "Pa" Rainey's Timeline. Although Dussie Mae is a fictional character, Ma was romantically linked to Bessie Smith, another queer jazz performer who was her protegé. Her artistry brings life to what in lesser hands would be a dull, elementary piece. [18] In 1923, Rainey was discovered by Paramount Records producer J. Mayo Williams. The first popular stage entertainer to incorporate authentic blues in her song repertoire, Ma Rainey (1886-1939) performed during the first three decades of the twentieth century. [38][39][3], Ma Rainey created what is now known as "classic blues" while also portraying black life like never before. She possessed listeners; they swayed, they rocked, they moaned and groaned, as they felt the blues with her. She was born into a family of minstrel performers and first appeared onstage when she was 14, and at age 18 married William "Pa" Rainey, a noted song-and-dance man in minstrel shows. Not like Ma. It's believed that Ma Rainey was bisexual, due to suggestive lyrics in some of her songs, and the fact that she got busted by the police for hosting a queer orgy. Her sturdy, tough vocals wiped away any memory of other blues singers. [42] Bragging about sexual escapades was popular in men's songs at the time but her use of these themes in her works established her as both fiercely independent and fearless and many have drawn connections between her use of these themes and their modern use in Hip-Hop. In 1981, Sandra Lieb wrote the first full-length book about Rainey, Mother of the Blues: A Study of Ma Rainey. [45], The first annual Ma Rainey International Blues Festival was held in April 2016 in Columbus, Georgia, near the home that Rainey owned and lived in at the time of her death. "Her ability to capture the mood and essence of Black rural southern life of the 1920s," noted Daphane Harrison in Black Pearls: Blues Queens "quickly endeared her to throngs of followers throughout the South. Yo-Yo Ma is an acclaimed cellist and songwriter who has produced dozens of albums and won 18 Grammy Awards. Ma Rainey, née Gertrude Pridgett, (born April 26, 1886, Columbus, Georgia, U.S.—died December 22, 1939, Columbus), American singer who was known as the “mother of the blues ” and who was recognized as the first great professional blues vocalist. [22] In the same year, she embarked on a tour of the Theater Owners Booking Association (TOBA) in the South and Midwest of the United States, singing for black and white audiences. [49], Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, a 1982 play by August Wilson, is a fictionalized account of the recording of her song of the same title in December 1927. We never tried to put any swindles on her. She often opened her stage show singing "Moonshine Blues" inside the cabinet of an over-sized victrola, from which she emerged to greet a near-frantic audience. Ma Rainey (Gertrude Pridgett) blues musician Born: 4/26/1886 Birthplace: Columbus, Georgia. [48], Sterling A. Ma Rainey was born Gertrude Malissa Nix Pridgett in Columbus, Georgia on April 26, 1886. As William Barlow explained, in Looking Up at Down, her songs were also "diverse, yet deeply rooted in day-to-day experiences of Black people from the South. Often called the “Mother of the Blues,” Rainey is credited with the rise in popularity of blues music at the beginning of the 20th century. Ma Rainey was the first popular stage entertainer to incorporate authentic blues into her song repertoire. Around 1915, the Raineys toured with Fat Chappelle's Rabbit Foot Minstrels. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is a 2020 American drama film directed by George C. Wolfe and written by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, based on the play of the same name by August Wilson.The film, and its source play, focus on Ma Rainey, an influential blues singer, and dramatizes a turbulent recording session in 1920s Chicago.. [8][9] She was the second of five children of Thomas and Ella (née Allen) Pridgett, from Alabama. Produced by Denzel Washington, Todd Black, and Dany … Ma Rainey was born in Columbus, GA, on 26 April 1886. Click any label to sort. Gertrude Pridgett mulai pentas pada masa … Described by African American poet Sterling Brown in Black Culture and Black Consciousness … Age 43. [25] Dorsey left the group in 1926 because of ill health and was replaced as pianist by Lillian Hardaway Henderson, the wife of Rainey's cornetist Fuller Henderson, who became the band's leader.[26]. Following the death of her mother and sister, Rainey retired from the music business in 1935 and settled in Columbus. Biography. ", READ MORE: Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey Forged a Powerful Friendship That Helped Bring Blues to the Mainstream. Rainey worked at the Springer Opera House in 1900, performing as a singer and dancer in the local talent show, "A Bunch of Blackberries." Singer Ma Rainey was the first popular stage entertainer to incorporate authentic blues into her song repertoire and became known as the "Mother of the Blues.". McNeil observed that the number "is typical of Rainey's output, a driving, unornamented vocal propelled along by an accompanist who plays the number straight. Ma Rainey is a well-known Blues Singer. Styled as the "Mother of the Blues," Gertrude Pridgett Rainey, better known as "Ma" Rainey, was one of the most important of the early blues singers. At 18 she married singer Will “Pa” Rainey – and by default became “Ma” - but made no attempt to hide her love of women. [24] They began their tour with an appearance in Chicago in April 1924 and continued, on and off, until 1928. [16], From the late 1910s, there was an increasing demand for recordings by black musicians. [21], In 1924, Rainey recorded with Louis Armstrong, including on "Jelly Bean Blues", "Countin' the Blues" and "See, See Rider". During Rainey's five-year recording career at Paramount, she cut nearly ninety sides, most of which dealt with the subjects of love and sexuality — bawdy themes that often earned her the billing of 'Madam Rainey.' . Ma Rainey estimated Net Worth, Biography, Age, Height, Dating, Relationship Records, Salary, Income, Cars, Lifestyles & many more details have been updated below.She became the musical inspiration for the famed Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes and folklorist author Sterling Brown. Went out last night with a crowd of my friends. (Rainey's) was the first recording of that song, giving her a hold on the copyright, and one of the best of the more than 100 versions. [28], According to the website queerculturalcenter.org, the lyrics refer to an incident in 1925 in which Rainey was "arrested for taking part in an orgy at [her] home involving women in her chorus". Beyond that, the specific details of her early life remain murky to this day. Draped in long gowns and covered in diamonds and a necklace of gold pieces, Rainey had a powerful command over her audiences. [52], ." They became so close that rumors circulated that their relationship was possibly also romantic in nature. She also took part in black minstrel shows and sang in the church choir. According to our own Metrics, Ma is one of the successful Blues Singer. From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Gertrude " Ma " Rainey (born Gertrude Pridgett, April 26, 1886 – December 22, 1939) was an American blues singer. With the success of her early recordings, Rainey took part in a Paramount promotional tour that featured a newly assembled back-up band. 16 Oct. 2020 . Known as the "Mother of the Blues," she enjoyed mass popularity during the blues craze of the 1920s. She was one of the first generation of blues singers to record. Rainey was born Gertrude Pridgett on April 26, 1886, in Columbus, Georgia, to minstrel troupers Thomas Pridgett, Sr. and Ella Allen-Pridgett. She was then know as Ma even though the marriage did not last. In Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, a newly released film streaming on NETFLIX, we meet the infamous chanteuse of the Blues of the 1920’s, Gertrude “Ma” Rainey and the take members of her band. Sure got to prove it on me. With the help of Mayo "Ink" Williams, Rainey first recorded for the Paramount label in 1923 (three years after the first blues side recorded by Mamie Smith). Theresa Merritt and Whoopi Goldberg starred as Rainey in the Original and Revival Broadway productions, respectively. [1][20] Paramount marketed her extensively, calling her the "Mother of the Blues", the "Songbird of the South", the "Gold-Neck Woman of the Blues" and the "Paramount Wildcat". Hall of Fame Essay. Though the TOBA and vaudeville circuits had gone into decline by the early 1930s, Rainey still performed, often resorting to playing tent shows. [1] Born in Columbus Georgia in 1886, Gertrude began performing with her family’s minstrel show at 14. Viola Davis portrays Rainey in a 2020 film adaptation of the play, distributed by Netflix. Some sources indicate that she was born in 1882, while most sources assert that she was born on April 26, 1886. Born Gertrude Pridgett, Ma Rainey (April 26, 1886 - December 22, 1939) was one of the first blues singers to record music. [51], This sortable table presents all 94 titles recorded by Rainey. Ma is … [1][12] A member of the First African Baptist Church, she began performing in black minstrel shows. ", Until 1926, Rainey performed with her Wild Jazz Cats on the Theater Owner's Booking Association circuit (TOBA). She did much to develop and popularize the form and was an important influence on … Rainey claimed she created the term "blues" when asked what kind of song she was singing. She is considered to be the first woman to introduce blues into her performances. A great contributor to America's rich blues tradition, Rainey's music has served as inspiration for African American poets such as Hughes and Sterling Brown, the latter of whom paid tribute to the majestic singer in the poem "Ma Rainey," which appeared in his 1932 collection Southern Road. How the 'Mother of the Blues' Became an Icon", "WHAT BLACK WRITERS OWE TO MUSIC (Published 1984)", "Ma Rainey International Blues Festivial - Mad About Ma Blues Society", "Rainey-McCullers School of the Arts opens as 2017-18 classes begin", "Netflix releases trailer for Chadwick Boseman's final movie", "Mo'Nique on Emmy Nomination for 'Bessie,' Lee Daniels' 'Empire' Snub: 'What You Put Out Is What You Get Back, Ma Rainey Blues Festival official website, Rainey, Ma (1886–1939) | Encyclopedia.com, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ma_Rainey&oldid=1007983472, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with PLWABN identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with Trove identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Misprint for "'Fore Day"; another take on JSP & DOCD. Though not the first female blues singer, her raw emotional style is credited with the genre’s great rise in popularity. Before she was Ma Rainey, she was born Gertrude Pridgett, the second of five children to Thomas and Ella Pridgett. Ma Rainey began performing as a preteen when she appeared in a talent show in Columbus, Georgia. Blues songs which are only partly of twelve-bar structure are classified as mixtures of blues and popular song forms. Her qualities are present and most evident in her early recordings "Bo-Weevil Blues" and "Moonshine Blues". Ma Rainey often claimed that she was born on … Rainey's tour debut at Chicago's Grand Theater on State Street marked the first appearance of a "down home" blues artist at the famous southside venue. Gertrude Pridgett, who was one of the earliest African-American professional blues singers and one of the first generation of blues singers to record was professionally known as Ma Rainey. Rainey died in Rome, Georgia (some sources say Columbus) on December 22, 1939. For the next several years, she devoted her time to the ownership of two entertainment venues — the Lyric Theater and the Airdome — as well as activities in the Friendship Baptist Church. [11], Pridgett began her career as a performer at a talent show in Columbus, Georgia, when she was about 12 to 14 years old. Eight years Smith's senior, Rainey quickly befriended the young performer. Handy was an African American composer and a leader in popularizing blues music in the early 20th century, with hits like "Memphis Blues" and "St. Louis Blues.". Scroll below and check more … In 1924, pianist and arranger Thomas A. Dorsey recruited members for Rainey's touring band, The Wild Cats Jazz Band. "[41] The portrayals of black female sexuality, including those bucking heteronormative standards, fought ideas of what a woman should be and inspired Alice Walker in developing her characters for The Color Purple. ", Unlike many other blues musicians, Rainey earned a reputation as a professional on stage and in business. They toured with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels and later formed their own group, Rainey and Rainey, Assassinators of the Blues. [1], There is uncertainty about the birth date of Gertrude Pridgett. Retrieved November 22, 2020, from Rainey, Ma (1886–1939) | Encyclopedia.com. Her voice bursts forth with a hearty declaration of courage and determination — a reaffirmation of Black life.". Birth of William "Pa" Rainey. She recorded more than one hundred songs over the course of her career, including “See See Rider.” Over the course of her career, she recorded more than a hundred songs, including “See See Rider.” Already a popular singer in the Southern theater circuit, Rainey entered the recording industry as an experienced and stylistically mature talent. She has ranked on the list of those famous people who were born on April 26, 1886. That year, after Dorsey left the band, she recorded with various musicians on the Paramount label — often under the name of Ma Rainey and her Georgia Jazz Band which, on various occasions, included musicians such as pianists Fletcher Henderson, Claude Hopkins and Willie the Lion Smith; reed players Don Redman, Buster Bailey and Coleman Hawkins; and trumpeters Louis Armstrong and Tommy Ladnier. Sources are unclear on the exact date and circumstances under which Rainey and Smith met, but it was probably sometime between 1912 and 1916. She is widely recognized as the first great female blues vocalist. But her overlooked legacy is being revisited thanks to the release of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, a film adaptation of August Wilson’s acclaimed 1982 play that arrived on … In the following five years, she made over 100 recordings, including "Bo-Weevil Blues" (1923), "Moonshine Blues" (1923), "See See Rider Blues" (1924), "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" (1927), and "Soon This Morning" (1927).[6]. Rainey developed a relationship with Bessie Smith. Updated November 13, 2018. [32], Towards the end of the 1920s, live vaudeville went into decline, being replaced by radio and recordings. She and her husband later toured around the American South performing in tent shows and cabarets. She was portrayed by Viola Davis in the 2020 film Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. To return to chronological order, click, This page was last edited on 20 February 2021, at 23:24. [43], Rainey was also a fashion icon who pioneered flashy, expensive costuming in her performances, wearing ostrich plumes, satin gowns, sequins, gold necklaces, diamond tiaras, and gold teeth. By 1914 she was performing with her husband as part of Rainey and Rainey, Assassinators of the Blues. Gertrude "Ma" Rainey (born Gertrude Pridgett, 1882 or 1886 – December 22, 1939) was one of the early African-American professional blues singers and one of the first generation of blues singers to record. As a single woman, she established her own entertainment … Read MoreGertrude “Ma” Rainey (1886-1939) Rainey was known as The "Mother of the Blues". Rainey said she found "Blues Music" when she was in Missouri one night performing and a girl introduced her to a sad song about a man leaving a woman. [14] She continued with the Rabbit's Foot Company after it was taken over by a new owner, F. S. Wolcott, in 1912. Though they shared an extraordinary command of the idiom, the two women delivered their messages in styles and voices that were dissimilar and manifestly personal. Brown wrote the poem "Ma Rainey" in 1932, about how "When Ma Rainey / comes to town" people everywhere would hear her sing. [31], Unlike many blues singers of her day, Rainey wrote at least a third of the songs she sang including many of her most famous works such as "Moonshine Blues" and "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" which would become standards of the "classic blues" genre. Rainey also said she learned the lyrics of the song and added it to her performances. [29] The political activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis noted that "'Prove It on Me' is a cultural precursor to the lesbian cultural movement of the 1970s, which began to crystallize around the performance and recording of lesbian-affirming songs. Encyclopedia.com. 1876 1876. Her first session, cut with Austin and Her Blue Serenaders, featured the traditional number "Bo-Weevil Blues." © 2021 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. Despite earlier historical accounts crediting Rainey as Smith's vocal coach, it has been generally agreed by modern scholars that Rainey played less of a role in the shaping of Smith's singing style. Billed as "Ma" and "Pa" Rainey the couple toured Southern tent shows and cabarets. In 1927, Rainey cut sides such as "Black Cat, Hoot Owl Blues" with the Tub Jug Washboard Band. She was billed as The Mother of the Blues. Rainey displayed a talent for singing at a young age and began performing as a teenager. [31], Her signature low and gravelly voice sung with Rainey's gusto and authoritative style inspired imitators from Louis Armstrong, Janis Joplin and Bonnie Raitt among others. Nobody. She was billed as … [7], In February 1904, Ma Rainey married William "Pa" Rainey. Template:Infobox musical artist Gertrude Malissa Nix Pridgett Rainey, better known as Ma Rainey ( September, 1882 – December 22, 1939), was one of the earliest known professional blues singers and one of the first generation of such singers to record. Businesswoman and entertainer Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, known as the Mother of Blues, was the most popular blues singer/ songwriter of the 1920s. Apparently in the late teens the Rainey's separated and Pa died. It’s true I wear a collar and tie. [10], Beginning in 1914, the Raineys were billed as Rainey and Rainey, Assassinators of the Blues. She signed a recording contract with Paramount, and in December she made her first eight recordings in Chicago,[19] including "Bad Luck Blues", "Bo-Weevil Blues" and "Moonshine Blues". Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie, "The True Story Of Ma Rainey From Netflix's 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, "Overlooked No More: Ma Rainey, the 'Mother of the Blues, "Ma Rainey's Lesbian Lyrics: 5 Times She Expressed Her Queerness in Song", "Ma Rainey Is Best Known as a Pioneer of the Blues. Her first recording was made in 1923. Ma Barker was the matriarch of the Barker-Karpis Gang, whose spree of kidnappings, murderers and bank robberies led to her and its members' violent deaths. Nicknamed the “Mother of the Blues,” she recorded more than 100 singles, including the hits “ Prove it on Me Blues ,” “ See See Rider Blues ,” and “ Don’t Fish in My Sea .”. Gertrude Pridgett Rainey, better known as Ma Rainey (Columbus, Georgia, April 26, 1886 – Columbus, Georgia, December 22, 1939), was one of the earliest known professional blues singers and one of the first generation of such singers to record. She was in the spotlight. [31], In her lyrics, Rainey portrayed the black female experience like few others of the time reflecting a wide range of emotions and experiences. ", While performing with the Moses Stokes troupe in 1912, the Raineys were introduced to the show's newly recruited dancer, Bessie Smith. [17] In 1920, Mamie Smith was the first black woman to be recorded. [34] Her style of blues was no longer considered fashionable by the label. Mother of the Blues was among the first singers to infuse folk-blue music into her performances. Around this time she visited New Orleans and was introduced toLouise Armstrong, Betty … In her thirty-five years of touring and recordings she made with Paramount, the Georgia native did much to establish the "classic" blues in American musical life. Gertrude "Ma" Rainey (born Gertrude Pridgett, 1882 or 1886 – December 22, 1939)[1][2][3] was one of the early African-American professional blues singers and one of the first generation of blues singers to record. They must've been women, 'cause I don't like no men. Ma Rainey was the first popular stage entertainer to incorporate authentic blues into her song repertoire. Wintering in New Orleans, she met numerous musicians, including Joe "King" Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet and Pops Foster. As a musical innovator she built on the minstrelsy and vaudeville performative traditions with comedic timing and a hybrid of American blues traditions she encountered in her vast tours across the country.
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