Bessie Smith was an African American Blues singer who worked hard to gain her fame and success in a time where she was looked down on for the color of her skin. Due to her hard work and powerful voice she heightened her career and collaborated with many voices like Louis Armstrong and has been the influence for stars like Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin. This song “Hard Time Blues” talks about her moving on from a man who does not treat her right. Bessie Smiths life and struggles with love motivated many of her songs and made her the inspiration for a movie released in 2015 called Bessie. This movie was about her life and stormy relationships and she was played by Queen Latifah. Bessie’s life started from nothing. She went from a voice no one thought twice about to a voice that still echoes in many hearts today.
Daria Lombardi is a student at Rowan University, she is majoring in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Writing Arts. When not in school she enjoys listening to music and though country is her favorite genre, she enjoys listen to any sounds if it comes from a strong female singer. Independent and strong women are what she grew up around and what she aspires to be.