Virginia Liston

Virginia Liston (née Crawford; c. 1890 – June 1932) was an American classic female blues and jazz singer. She spent most of her career in vaudeville. She performed with her husband, Samuel H. Gray, as Liston and Liston. In the 1920s she made a series of recordings that included performances with Clarence Williams and his Blue Five on "You've Got the Right Key, but the Wrong Keyhole" and "Early in the Morning", and with the Clarence Williams Washboard Band on "Cushion Foot Stomp", and "P.D.Q. Blues".

Birth and Death Data: Born 1890 (Louisiana), Died June 1, 1932 (St. Louis)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1922 - 1926

Roles Represented in DAHR: contralto, composer, songwriter, lyricist

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

Recordings (Results 26-44 of 44 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
OKeh S-72935 10-in. Oct. 1924 Bill Draw Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, contralto, songwriter  
OKeh S-72937 10-in. Oct. 1924 Monkey jungle blues Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-72938 10-in. Oct. 1924 Night latch key blues Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with clarinet and piano vocalist, contralto, lyricist, composer  
OKeh S-72939 10-in. Oct. 1924 Any day the sun don't shine Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with clarinet and piano vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-73387 10-in. 6/1/1925 Papa de da da Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-73388 10-in. 6/1/1925 I ain't gonna play no second fiddle Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-73389 Not documented 6/1/1925 [Unknown title(s)] Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-73390 10-in. June 1925 Make me a pallet Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with piano and mandolin vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-73391 10-in. June 1925 You can dip your bread in my gravy, but you can't have none of my chops Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with piano, mandolin, and banjo vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-73395 10-in. 6/3/1925 I ain't got nobody (And nobody cares for me) Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with reed organ vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-73396 10-in. 6/3/1925 Black sheep blues Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with reed organ vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-73397 10-in. 6/3/1925 I'm sick of fattening frogs for snakes Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with reed organ vocalist, contralto  
Brunswick C363 10-in. 5/29/1926 Titanic blues Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with organ composer, vocalist, contralto  
Brunswick C172-C173 10-in. 4/20/1926 Titanic blues Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with clarinet and piano composer, vocalist, contralto  
Brunswick C174-C175 10-in. 4/20/1926 Rolls-Royce papa Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with clarinet and piano composer, vocalist, contralto  
Brunswick C359-C360 10-in. 5/29/1926 Rolls-Royce papa Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio composer, vocalist, contralto  
Brunswick C361-C362 10-in. 5/29/1926 Titanic blues Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio composer, vocalist, contralto  
Brunswick C364-C365 10-in. 5/29/1926 Evil minded blues Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio vocalist, contralto  
Brunswick C366-C368 10-in. 5/29/1926 I'm gonna get me a man, that’s all Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio composer, vocalist, contralto  
(Results 26-44 of 44 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Liston, Virginia," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109153.

Liston, Virginia. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109153.

"Liston, Virginia." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 26 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109153

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