Bessie Brown
Bessie Brown (1890–1955) also known as "The Original" Bessie Brown, was an American classic female blues, jazz, and cabaret singer. She sometimes recorded under the pseudonyms Sadie Green, Caroline Lee, and possibly Helen Richards. Brown was active as a recording artist from 1925 to 1929. She should not be confused (although often is in biographies and discographies) with the Bessie Brown who recorded vaudeville and blues-styled duets with George W. Williams, over a similar timespan. |
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | 81157 | 10-in. | 8/2/1923 | Satisfied blues | Bessie Brown ; Fletcher Henderson ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 81158 | 10-in. | 8/2/1923 | Double crossin' daddy | Bessie Brown ; Fletcher Henderson ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 81292 | 10-in. | 10/25/1923 | You need some loving | Bessie Brown ; Fletcher Henderson ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 81293 | 10-in. | 10/25/1923 | Wish I had you (and I'm gonna get you blues) | Bessie Brown ; Fletcher Henderson ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 81341 | 10-in. | 11/9/1923 | You can't do what my last man did | Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 81342 | 10-in. | 11/9/1923 | If Mamma quits Papa, what will Papa do | Bessie Brown ; Fletcher Henderson ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 81347 | 10-in. | 11/10/1923 | He's never gonna throw me down | Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 81348 | 10-in. | 11/10/1923 | Papa don't you mean your mamma no good | Bessie Brown ; Fletcher Henderson ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 81538 | 10-in. | 2/8/1924 | You ain't quittin' me without two weeks notice | Alexander Brown ; Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 81540 | 10-in. | 2/8/1924 | It takes a brownskin man to make a high yellow blue | Alexander Brown ; Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet, with piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 81543 | 10-in. | 2/8/1924 | He's never gonna throw me down | Alexander Brown ; Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 81847 | 10-in. | 6/27/1924 | No second handed lovin' for mine | Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with cornet and piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 81848 | 10-in. | 6/27/1924 | If you hit my dog I'll kick your cat | Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with cornet and piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 81855 | 10-in. | 6/30/1924 | I'm tired of begging you to treat me right | George W. Williams | Male vocal solo ("blues singer"), with alto saxophone and piano | songwriter | |
| Columbia | 81861 | 10-in. | 7/3/1924 | How can I get it, when you keep on snatchin' it back? | Alabama Joe ; Bessie Brown | Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with guitar | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 81862 | 10-in. | 7/3/1924 | Hoodoo blues | Alabama Joe ; Bessie Brown | Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with guitar | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 81887 | 10-in. | 7/29/1924 | I can do what you do | Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with cornet, trombone, and piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 81888 | 10-in. | 7/29/1924 | When I get the devil in me | Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with cornet and piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 81890 | 10-in. | 7/29/1924 | My right man | Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano | vocalist, instrumentalist, piano | |
| Columbia | 81916 | 10-in. | 8/19/1924 | Mississippi Delta blues | Bessie Brown | Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with tenor saxophone and piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 81917 | 10-in. | 8/15/1924 | When you go huntin', I'm goin' fishin' | Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with cornet, trombone, and piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 81924 | 10-in. | 8/19/1924 | Pork chop blues | Bessie Brown | Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with tenor saxophone and piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | 140396 | 10-in. | 2/26/1925 | Will you love me while you're gone? | Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with clarinet and piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | W140405 | 10-in. | 2/28/1925 | Scat! Mister Sweetback | Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | W140406 | 10-in. | 2/28/1925 | Bald-headed mamma blues | Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | W140429 | 10-in. | 3/13/1925 | She's my Sheba, I'm her sheik | Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with clarinet, trombone, and piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | W140432 | 10-in. | 3/14/1925 | Cheatin' blues | Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with clarinet, trombone, and piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | W140440 | 10-in. | 3/17/1925 | What makes Papa hate Mama so? | Lemuel Fowler ; George W. Williams | Male vocal solo ("blues singer"), with piano | songwriter | |
| Columbia | W141902 | 10-in. | 4/2/1926 | You can't proposition me | Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | W141903 | 10-in. | 4/2/1926 | Hit me but don't quit me | Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | W141932 | 10-in. | 4/8/1926 | Bootlegging daddy | Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano | vocalist | |
| Columbia | W141933 | 10-in. | 4/8/1926 | Road house blues | Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams | Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano | vocalist, songwriter | |
| Brunswick | E29531 | 10-in. | Mar. 1929 | Song from a cotton field | Bessie Brown | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Brunswick | E29532 | 10-in. | Mar. 1929 | He just don’t appeal to me | Bessie Brown | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Brunswick | E29538 | 10-in. | Apr. 1929 | Tain’t nobody’s fault but my own | Bessie Brown | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Brunswick | E29539 | 10-in. | Apr. 1929 | The blues singer from Alabam’ | Bessie Brown | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Brunswick | C1859 | 10-in. | 4/3/1928 | Arkansas blues (A down home chant) | Bessie Brown | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist | |
| Brunswick | C1860 | 10-in. | 4/3/1928 | Sugar | Bessie Brown | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist | |
| Brunswick | C1861 | 10-in. | 4/3/1928 | Smile | Bessie Brown | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist | |
| Brunswick | C1865 | 10-in. | 4/3/1928 | Blue Ridge | Bessie Brown | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Brunswick | C1866 | 10-in. | 4/3/1928 | The man I love | Bessie Brown | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Brunswick | C1668-C1669 | 10-in. | 1/24/1928 | Chloe | Bessie Brown | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Brunswick | C1670-C1671 | 10-in. | 1/24/1928 | Can’t help lovin’ dat man | Bessie Brown | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Brunswick | C1672-C1673 | 10-in. | 1/24/1928 | Someone else may be there while I’m gone | Bessie Brown | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Brown, Bessie," accessed April 25, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/100487.
Brown, Bessie. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/100487.
"Brown, Bessie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 April 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Brown, Bessie, approximately 1895- - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n2002066099
Wikidata: Bessie Brown - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q536079
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/46123941
MusicBrainz: Bessie Brown - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/c93d3c00-93f8-4245-a77e-2bfa1f49ae7b
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
Feedback
Send the Editors a message about this record.