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 1-25 of 44 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 80584 10-in. 10/3/1922 Mexican blues Leona Williams Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band songwriter  
Columbia 81509 10-in. 1/29/1924 You don't know my mind Clara Smith Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with alto saxophone and piano lyricist  
OKeh S-71846 10-in. September 1923 Bed time blues Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with piano songwriter, vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-71847 10-in. September 1923 You thought I was blind but now I see Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with piano lyricist, vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-71862 10-in. September 1923 You don't know my mind blues Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with piano lyricist, vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-71863 10-in. September 1923 Sally Long blues Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with piano lyricist, vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-72063 10-in. 11/15/1923 Don’t agitate me blues Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with piano songwriter, vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-72064 10-in. 11/15/1923 Happy shout Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with piano songwriter, vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-72101 10-in. November 1923 House rent stomp Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-72102 10-in. November 1923 Shreveport blues Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-72232 10-in. Jan. 1924 You can have it (I don't want it) Sam Gray ; Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams Female-male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-72233 10-in. Jan. 1924 Just take one long last lingering look Sam Gray ; Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams Female-male vocal duet, with piano vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-72258 10-in. Jan. 1924 I don't love nobody Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-72259 10-in. Jan. 1924 'Tain't a doggone thing but the blues Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-72265 10-in. Jan. 1924 Jail house blues Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with guitar vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-72266 Not documented Jan. 1924 [Unknown title(s)] Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with guitar vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-72478 10-in. Apr. 1924 Mississippi blues Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-72479 10-in. Apr. 1924 I never knew what the blues were (Until you went away) Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-72480 10-in. Apr. 1924 San Francisco blues Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-72514 10-in. May 1924 You don't know my mind blues Jamaica Jazzers Jazz/dance quartet composer  
OKeh S-72890 10-in. Oct. 1924 Pineland blues Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-72891 10-in. Oct. 1924 Weeping willow blues Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-72915 10-in. 10/17/1924 Early in the morning Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance quintet vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-72916 10-in. 10/17/1924 You've got the right key, but the wrong keyhole Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Virginia Liston Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance quintet vocalist, contralto  
OKeh S-72934 10-in. Oct. 1924 Give it to me good Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, contralto  
(Results 1-25 of 44 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Liston, Virginia," accessed March 29, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109153.

Liston, Virginia. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109153.

"Liston, Virginia." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 29 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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