Georgia White

Georgia White (9 March 1903 – c.1980) was an American blues singer, most prolific in the 1930s and 1940s.

Little is known of her early life, but it has been suggested that she was born in Sandersville, Georgia. By the late 1920s she was singing in clubs in Chicago. She made her first recording, "When You're Smiling, the Whole World Smiles With You," with Jimmie Noone's orchestra in 1930. She returned to the studio in 1935, and over the next six years recorded over 100 tracks for Decca Records, usually accompanied by the pianist Richard M. Jones and also, in the late 1930s, by the guitarist Lonnie Johnson.

She also recorded under the name Georgia Lawson. Her tracks included "I'll Keep Sitting on It," "Take Me for a Buggy Ride," "Mama Knows What Papa Wants When Papa's Feeling Blue," and "Hot Nuts." Her best-known song was "You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now" (1935).

White formed an all-female band in the 1940s. She also performed with Bumble Bee Slim and Gassy Slaps. She joined Big Bill Broonzy's Laughing Trio in 1949 as pianist. "She was very easy to get along with," said Broonzy, "real friendly." She was a club singer in the 1950s, finally performing in 1959 in Chicago. She then resumed performing on weekends at the Blue Pub, a bar on Irving Park Road near the Kennedy Expressway, where she quickly won a loyal following. She sang many of her famous songs, including "Maybe I'm Wrong Again," a ballad from an early Bing Crosby movie.

One of her songs, "Alley Boogie" (recorded in 1937), was used as the theme music for the British romantic comedy drama series, Love Soup.

White's version of "Hot Nuts" was featured in the 2022 film, Jackass Forever.

Birth and Death Data: Born March 9, 1903 (Sandersville), Died 1980

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1930 - 1941

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, piano

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

Recordings (Results 51-75 of 99 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca 90721 10-in. 5/12/1936 I'll keep sittin' on it Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 90722 10-in. 5/12/1936 Pigmeat blues Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 90723 10-in. 5/12/1936 Trouble in mind Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 90854 10-in. 9/4/1936 Was I drunk? Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 90855 10-in. 9/4/1936 No second hand woman Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 90864 10-in. 9/10/1936 The boy in the boat Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 90865 10-in. 9/10/1936 Sinking sun blues Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91011 10-in. 12/7/1936 Little red wagon Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91012 10-in. 12/7/1936 Dan the back door man Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91013 10-in. 12/7/1936 Your hellish way Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91014 10-in. 12/7/1936 Marble stone blues Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91023 10-in. 12/8/1936 Poor lonesome boy Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91102 10-in. 1/28/1937 You don't know my mind Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91103 10-in. 1/28/1937 When my love comes down Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91104 10-in. 1/28/1937 Walking the street Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91105 10-in. 1/28/1937 Grandpa and Grandma Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91106 10-in. 1/28/1937 I'm so glad I'm 21 today Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91107 10-in. 1/28/1937 Toothache blues Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91229 10-in. 5/6/1937 Mistreated blues Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91255 10-in. 5/9/1937 New trouble in mind Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91256 10-in. 5/19/1937 Trouble in mind swing Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91257 10-in. 5/19/1937 Moonshine blues Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91259 10-in. 5/19/1937 Biscuit roller Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91351 10-in. 11/9/1937 Careless love-1 Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91352 10-in. 11/9/1937 Rock me Daddy-1 Georgia White vocalist  
(Results 51-75 of 99 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "White, Georgia," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110377.

White, Georgia. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110377.

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

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110377

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