Victoria Spivey

Victoria Regina Spivey (October 15, 1906 – October 3, 1976), sometimes known as Queen Victoria, was an American blues singer and songwriter. During a recording career that spanned 40 years, from 1926 to the mid-1960s, she worked with Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Clarence Williams, Luis Russell, Lonnie Johnson, and Bob Dylan. She also performed in vaudeville and clubs, sometimes with her sister Addie "Sweet Peas" (or "Sweet Pease") Spivey (August 22, 1910 – 1943), also known as the Za Zu Girl. Among her compositions are "Black Snake Blues" (1926), "Dope Head Blues" (1927), and "Organ Grinder Blues" (1928).

Birth and Death Data: Born Houston, Died October 3, 1976 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1916 - 1937

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, composer, lyricist, songwriter, piano, director

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 76-100 of 102 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
OKeh W401243 10-in. 10/17/1928 Toothache blues Lonnie Johnson ; Victoria Spivey ; Clarence Williams Female-male vocal duet, with piano vocalist  
OKeh W401244 10-in. 10/18/1928 Furniture man blues Lonnie Johnson ; Victoria Spivey ; Clarence Williams Female-male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, songwriter  
OKeh W401245 10-in. 10/18/1928 Furniture man blues Lonnie Johnson ; Victoria Spivey ; Clarence Williams Female-male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, songwriter  
OKeh W401246 10-in. 10/18/1928 Mosquito, fly and flea Victoria Spivey Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, composer, lyricist  
OKeh W401247 10-in. 10/18/1928 Toothache blues Lonnie Johnson ; Victoria Spivey ; Clarence Williams Female-male vocal duet, with piano vocalist  
OKeh W402153 10-in. 12/4/1928 No Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance sextet composer  
OKeh W402491 10-in. 7/3/1929 You done lost your good thing now!, part 1 Lonnie Johnson ; Victoria Spivey Female-male vocal duet, with guitar and piano vocalist, instrumentalist, piano, songwriter  
OKeh W402492 10-in. 7/3/1929 You done lost your good thing now!, part 2 Lonnie Johnson ; Victoria Spivey Female-male vocal duet, with guitar and piano vocalist, instrumentalist, piano, songwriter  
OKeh W402525 10-in. 7/10/1929 Funny feathers Victoria Spivey Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance sextet vocalist, lyricist, composer  
OKeh W402526 10-in. 7/10/1929 How do you do it that way? Victoria Spivey Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance sextet vocalist, composer, lyricist  
Brunswick VO147 10-in. 3/20/1931 Nebraska blues Victoria Spivey Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, composer, lyricist  
Brunswick VO148 10-in. 3/20/1931 He wants too much Victoria Spivey Female vocal solo, with guitar and piano vocalist, composer, lyricist  
Brunswick VO149 10-in. 3/20/1931 Low down man blues Victoria Spivey Female vocal solo, with guitar and piano vocalist, composer, lyricist  
Brunswick VO150 10-in. 3/20/1931 Don’t trust nobody blues Victoria Spivey Female vocal solo, with guitar and piano vocalist, composer, lyricist  
Brunswick VO159 10-in. 4/21/1931 Sensational mood Hunter’s Serenaders Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo vocalist, director  
Brunswick C7100 10-in. 12/31/1930 Mama’s quittin’ and leavin’ Magnolia Harris ; Howling Smith Female-male vocal duet, with 2 guitars vocalist, songwriter  
Brunswick C7101 10-in. 12/31/1930 Mama’s quittin’ and leavin’ Magnolia Harris ; Howling Smith Female-male vocal duet, with 2 guitars vocalist, songwriter  
Brunswick C834-C836 10-in. 4/27/1927 Black snake blues Dixie Syncopators ; King Oliver Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Edison 4998 10-in. 9/15/1916 New York blues Pietro Frosini Accordion solo composer  
ARC 20793 10-in. 3/12/1937 One hour mama Victoria Spivey Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist  
ARC 20794 10-in. 3/12/1937 Harlem Suzie-Kue Victoria Spivey Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist  
ARC 20795 10-in. 3/12/1937 Give it to him Victoria Spivey Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist  
ARC 20796 10-in. 3/12/1937 Got the blues to bad Victoria Spivey Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist  
Decca 90784 10-in. 7/7/1936 Sweet Pease Victoria Spivey vocalist  
Decca 90785 10-in. 7/7/1936 Black snake swing (Black snake blues) Victoria Spivey vocalist  
(Results 76-100 of 102 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Spivey, Victoria," accessed December 11, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105213.

Spivey, Victoria. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 11, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105213.

"Spivey, Victoria." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 11 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105213

External Sources

Wikipedia: Victoria Spivey

Discogs: Victoria Spivey

Allmusic: Victoria Spivey

Grove: Victoria Spivey

IMDb: Victoria Spivey

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Spivey, Victoria - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n85376797

Wikidata: Victoria Spivey - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q543443

VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/94114578

MusicBrainz: Victoria Spivey - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/0b9f1797-12ca-4db4-8e0d-d9dc2b90a3da

Fast: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/183620 - http://id.worldcat.org/fast/183620

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