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 76-99 of 99 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca 91353 10-in. 11/9/1937 Red Cap Porter-1 Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91354 10-in. 11/9/1937 Alley boogie Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91545 10-in. 10/21/1938 The blues ain' t nothin' but...? Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91546 10-in. 10/21/1938 Dead man' s blues Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91547 10-in. 10/21/1938 Love sick blues Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91548 10-in. 10/21/1938 My worried mind blues Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91863 10-in. 11/3/1939 Furniture man Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91864 10-in. 11/3/1939 Ain't that so? Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91865 10-in. 11/3/1939 I'm doing what my heart says do Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91866 10-in. 11/3/1939 You got to drop the sack Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91867 10-in. 11/3/1939 'Tain't nobody's fault but yours Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 91868 10-in. 11/3/1939 Worried head blues Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 93573[a] 10-in. 3/11/1941 Mail plane blues Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 93574 10-in. 3/11/1941 Misery blues Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 93575 10-in. 3/11/1941 Mama knows what Papa wants when Papa 's feelin' blue Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 93576 10-in. 3/11/1941 Come around to my house Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 93577 10-in. 3/11/1941 Territory blues Georgia White vocalist  
Decca 93578 10-in. 3/11/1941 When you' re away Georgia White vocalist  
Decca C 9858 10-in. 3/13/1935 Your worries ain't like mine Georgia White vocalist, instrumentalist, piano  
Decca C 9859 10-in. 3/13/1935 You done lost your good thing now Georgia White vocalist, instrumentalist, piano  
Decca C 9907 10-in. 4/10/1935 Dupree blues Georgia White vocalist, instrumentalist, piano  
Decca C 9908 10-in. 4/10/1935 Dallas man (Lost lover blues) Georgia White vocalist, instrumentalist, piano  
Decca C 9909 10-in. 4/10/1935 Your worries ain't like mine Georgia White vocalist, instrumentalist, piano  
Decca C 9910 10-in. 4/10/1935 You done lost your good thing now Georgia White vocalist, instrumentalist, piano  
(Results 76-99 of 99 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "White, Georgia," accessed May 10, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110377.

White, Georgia. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 10, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110377.

"White, Georgia." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 10 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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