Ladies of the Blues, Part 2
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Sippie Wallace, Victoria Spivey, Memphis Minnie, Big Mama Thornton
by Don Erickson
The success of the early recordings by the classic women blues
singers led many record companies to seek out artists and capture their
sound outside the confines of New York. (This, in turn, led to the
discovery of the many talented male blues artists that became popular
from 1925 on.)
While searching for talent across the country, some major stars emerged
from Texas, including Beulah "Sippie" Wallace and Victoria
Spivey.
Sippie Wallace came from a musical family that included, among others,
her niece Hociel Thomas, a significant artist herself. Current star
Bonnie Raitt helped champion renewed interest in Sippie Wallace,
producing Sippie's album that won the W.C. Handy award for Best Blues
Album of 1983. Sippie passed away three years later at the age of 88.
On Raitt's first album you will find excellent versions of Wallace's
"Mighty Tight Woman" and "Women Be Wise". Bonnie
also covered "You Got to Know How" on her second album, Give
it Up.
Victoria Spivey, who recorded an album of duets with Wallace in 1966,
also came from a musical family, including her sisters Elton and Addie
(Sweet Pease) Spivey. Victoria had a hit in 1926, at the age of 16, with
"Black Snake Blues" on the Okeh label while she was in St.
Louis. (The year 1927 saw Blind Lemon Jefferson have success with the
same theme on "That Black Snake Moan", which became his
signature.) Victoria, who was born in 1906, remained a force in the
blues scene until her death in 1976.
St. Louis became home to many other talented performers including the
great Lonnie Johnson, who recorded some classic sides with Victoria
Spivey. Important women artists from St. Louis include Mary Johnson,
Luella Miller, Edith North Johnson and Alice Moore.
Lucille Bogan, based in Birmingham, Alabama, was an extremely gifted
writer and singer. She also performed as "Bessie Jackson",
teaming up with pianist Walter Roland.
A few artists made the successful transition from Rural Blues to the
urban nightclub style. This includes Big Bill Broonzy, Tampa Red, and
Memphis Minnie (who was born Lizzie "Kid" Douglas near New
Orleans in 1897). By 1929, Minnie was recording in Memphis with her
husband, Kansas Joe McCoy. They went their separate ways in 1935. Minnie
married Little Son Joe (Ernest Lawlers) in 1939 and performed with him
in a twin-guitar setting as she had with McCoy. After acquiring an
electric guitar, she had a hit in 1941 with "Me and My
Chauffeur". She became so popular that "Black Rat Swing",
which featured her husband's singing, was credited to Mr. Memphis
Minnie.
After the '20s and '30s, blues recordings were increasingly dominated by
male artists. However, Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton made a
big contribution in 1952 with her song "Hound Dog". Of course,
this same song brought great fame to Elvis Presley in 1956. Rock star
Janis Joplin performed incredibly powerful versions of Thornton's 1968
song "Ball and Chain".
The '50s saw the emergence of Koko Taylor, "The Queen of Chicago
Blues". Her most famous hit is the Willie Dixon-penned "Wang
Dang Doodle".
Younger performers you may have seen include Debbie Davies, Sue Foley
and Joanna Connor. The many talented ladies who are keeping the blues
alive here and elsewhere deserve our support.
Next month's article features the evolution of the Delta blues.
Reprinted with permission from the February 1997 issue of the Blues Crier
