|
|
|
|
Jazz and the
Blues, two of the
most prominent musical forms to emerge from African-American roots, differ
sharply in their relationships to glbtq performers. While jazz continues to
be hostile toward glbtq musicians despite the significant contributions of
several gay male jazz artists, the Blues has been more welcoming,
particularly to lesbian and bisexual women. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bessie Smith, "Empress of the Blues" |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Gladys Bentley
(1907-1960) was an African-American Blues singer whose name became
synonymous with "Hot Harlem" of the 1920s. Bentley openly flaunted her
lesbianism in the 1920s and 1930s, but recanted in the 1950s in an
attempt to salvage her career. |
|
| |
| |
| |
Lea DeLaria
(b. 1958) has been a proudly out lesbian since the beginning of her
career. As the daughter of a jazz musician, performing came naturally
to the versatile DeLaria who has earned accolades for her talents as an
actor, a singer, and a stand-up comic. |
|
| |
| |
| |
Frances Faye
(1912-1991) was a gravel-voiced vocalist and pianist whose style and
sound evolved over the years to include jazz, pop, Latin and rock
influences. She warmly embraced her gay and lesbian audience and was
openly bisexual at a time when few other performers dared to do the
same. |
|
|
|
| |
| |
Alberta Hunter
(1895-1984), a Blues singer, lyricist, actress, and one of the top
recording artists of the 1920s and 1930s, experienced a dramatic
comeback in her old age. |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Mabel Mercer
(1900-1984) is one of the most respected singers of the mid-twentieth
century. She was a most original stylist who became a beloved icon of
gay New York in her later years. |
|
| |
| |
| |
Gertrude "Ma" Rainey
(1886-1939) was short, fat, and country to the core. Nicknamed
"The Mother of the Blues," Rainey made no secret of her relationships
with women. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Bessie Smith
(1894-1937), "Empress of the Blues," had a powerful voice and
sophisticated musical talents. She conducted her life by her own set of
rules and enjoyed affairs with both men and women. |
|
| |
| |
| |
 William
"Billy" Strayhorn (1915-1967) was a major figure in American
music who enriched jazz by investing it with complexly orchestrated
form. The prolific composer, arranger, and performer was unusual for
his refusal to hide his homosexuality. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
 Ethel
Waters (1896-1977) is perhaps best remembered as an actress who
brought depth and acuity to fat "mammy" roles in plays and films. She
began her entertainment career as "Sweet Mama Stringbean," a slender
and glamorous blues singer whose musical talents made her a major
nightclub star in 1920s Harlem. |
|
| |
| |
| |
Photo
Credits: Portrait
of Bessie Smith by Carl van Vechten courtesy Library of Congress Prints
and Photographs Division. Image of William "Billy" Strayhorn is a
detail from a portrait by Carl Van Vechten, courtesy Library of
Congress Prints and Photographs Division. |
|
|
|
