Fannie May Goosby
Fannie May Goosby (born 1902, died after 1934) also known as Fannie Mae Goosby was an American classic female blues singer, pianist and songwriter. Ten of her recordings were released between 1923 and 1928, one of which, "Grievous Blues", she recorded twice. Goosby was one of the first female blues musicians to record her own material. She also was one of the first two blues singers to be recorded in the Deep South, the other being the dirty blues singer Lucille Bogan. Details of her life outside the recording studio are minimal. |
Birth and Death Data: Died 1934
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1923 - 1928
Roles Represented in DAHR: contralto, composer, lyricist, piano
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OKeh | 8386 | 10-in. | approximately 6/14/1923 | Grievous blues | Fannie May Goosby | Female vocal solo, with trumpet and piano | vocalist, contralto | |
| OKeh | 8387 | 10-in. | June 1923 | [Unknown title(s)] | Fannie May Goosby | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, contralto | |
| OKeh | 8388 | 10-in. | June 1923 | [Unknown title(s)] | Fannie May Goosby | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, contralto | |
| OKeh | 8586 | 10-in. | 3/20/1924 | Sweet man blues | Viola Baker | Female vocal solo, with piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
| OKeh | 8587 | Not documented | 3/20/1924 | [Unknown title(s)] | Viola Baker | Female vocal solo, with piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
| OKeh | 8588 | Not documented | 3/20/1924 | [Unknown title(s)] | Viola Baker | Female vocal solo, with piano | instrumentalist, piano | |
| OKeh | S-71924 | 10-in. | October 1923 | I've got the blues, that's all | Fannie May Goosby ; Thomas Morris ; Clarence Williams | Female vocal solo, with cornet and piano | vocalist, contralto, composer | |
| OKeh | S-71925 | 10-in. | October 1923 | Grievious blues | Fannie May Goosby ; Thomas Morris ; Clarence Williams | Female vocal solo, with cornet and piano | vocalist, contralto, composer, lyricist | |
| OKeh | S-71931 | 10-in. | October 1923 | All alone blues | Fannie May Goosby | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, contralto, composer, lyricist | |
| OKeh | S-71932 | Not documented | Oct. 1923 | [Unknown title(s)] | Fannie May Goosby | Female vocal solo | vocalist, contralto | |
| OKeh | S-71939 | 10-in. | October 1923 | I've got a do right daddy now | Fannie May Goosby ; Eddie Heywood | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, contralto | |
| OKeh | S-71940 | 10-in. | October 1923 | I believe my man is got a rabbit's leg | Fannie May Goosby ; Eddie Heywood | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, contralto, composer | |
| OKeh | S-71941 | 10-in. | October 1923 | Goosby blues | Fannie May Goosby ; Eddie Heywood | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, contralto, composer | |
| Brunswick | AT384-AT385 | 10-in. | March 1928 | Can’t use you blues | Fannie May Goosby ; Peter Harris | Female-male vocal duet, with cornet and piano | vocalist, contralto, composer, lyricist | |
| Brunswick | AT386-AT387 | 10-in. | March 1928 | Dirty moaner blues | Fannie May Goosby ; Peter Harris | Female-male vocal duet, with cornet and piano | vocalist, contralto, composer, lyricist | |
| Brunswick | AT388-AT389 | 10-in. | March 1928 | Fortune teller blues | Fannie May Goosby | Female vocal solo, with cornet and piano | vocalist, contralto, composer, lyricist | |
| Brunswick | AT390-AT391 | 10-in. | March 1928 | Stormy night blues | Fannie May Goosby | Female vocal solo, with cornet and piano | vocalist, contralto, composer, lyricist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Goosby, Fannie May," accessed January 2, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108586.
Goosby, Fannie May. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 2, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108586.
"Goosby, Fannie May." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 2 January 2026.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Goosby, Fannie May - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no00096034
Wikidata: Fannie May Goosby - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1925000
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