Mamie Smith (née Robinson; May 26, 1891 – September 16, 1946) was an American vaudeville singer, dancer, pianist, and actress. As a vaudeville singer she performed in multiple styles, including jazz and blues. In 1920, she entered blues history as the first African American artist to make vocal blues recordings. Willie "The Lion" Smith (no relation) described the background of that recording in his autobiography, Music on My Mind (1964).
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Lucille Hegamin
American singer and entertainer
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Bessie Smith
American blues singer
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Eva Taylor
American singer and actress (1895-1977)
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Lonnie Johnson
musician from the USA
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W. C. Handy
American blues composer and musician
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Edith Wilson
American blues singer and vaudeville performer (1896-1981)
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Virginia Liston
American classic female blues and jazz singer
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Ida Cox
African American singer and vaudeville performer
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Big Mama Thornton
American rhythm and blues singer and songwriter
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Helen Humes
American jazz and blues singer
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Victoria Spivey
American blues singer and songwriter
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Rosa Henderson
American vaudeville, jazz and blues singer
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Alberta Hunter
American blues singer, songwriter, and nurse
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Porter Grainger
American musician
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Esther Bigeou
American vaudeville and blues singer
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Trixie Smith
African American blues singer, recording artist, vaudeville entertainer, and actress (1895-1943)
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Lena Wilson
American blues singer (1898-1939)
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Sippie Wallace
American blues and jazz singer
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Lavinia Turner
musical artist
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Lovie Austin
American pianist
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Hazel Meyers
American classic female blues and country blues singer
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Viola Gertrude Wells
American singer
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Laura Smith
American classic female blues and country blues singer
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Big Maybelle
American R&B singer and pianist
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Ma Rainey
African-American blues singer
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Ethel Waters
American blues, jazz and gospel vocalist and actress
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Kitty Brown
American classic female blues singer
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Fannie May Goosby
American singer
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Bertha "Chippie" Hill
American blues and vaudeville singer and dancer
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Clarence Williams
American jazz pianist, composer, promoter, vocalist, theatrical producer, and publisher
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Louis Armstrong
American jazz trumpeter, composer and singer
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Jimmy Rushing
American blues shouter and swing jazz singer
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Ella Fitzgerald
American jazz singer
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Cab Calloway
American jazz singer and bandleader (1907-1994)
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The Boswell Sisters
Singing trio popular during the Jazz Age
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Ruby Smith
American classic female blues singer
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Sara Martin
American blues singer
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Gladys Bentley
American blues singer
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Blind Lemon Jefferson
American blues singer and guitarist
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Clara Smith
American classic female blues singer
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Hociel Thomas
American vaudeville and blues singer
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Red Saunders
American musician
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Billie Holiday
American jazz singer
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John Hammond
American record producer, civil rights activist and music critic
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Mississippi John Hurt
American country blues singer and guitarist
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Sister Rosetta Tharpe
American gospel musician
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Sammy Price
American pianist
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Adelaide Hall
American-born UK-based jazz singer and entertainer
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Lucille Bogan
American blues singer
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Frankie Jaxon
African American vaudeville singer, female impersonator, stage designer and comedian
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Fats Waller
American jazz pianist and composer
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James P. Johnson
American pianist and composer
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Original Dixieland Jass Band
American jazz band
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Memphis Jug Band
band
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Juanita Hall
American musical theatre and film actress; singer, recording artist (1901-1968)
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Dinah Washington
American singer, songwriter, pianist
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Sam Wooding
American jazz pianist
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Ralph Peer
Talent scout, recording engineer and record producer
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Dolly Jones
American jazz musician
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James Tim Brymn
American musician
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Blind Boy Fuller
American blues guitarist and singer