Meet the American who first recorded the blues, nation's original pop diva Mamie Smith
Fox News
Vaudeville performer Mamie Smith recorded "Crazy Blues" in 1920, widely regarded as the first recorded blues hit. The success of American blues inspired rock 'n' roll.
It’s the foundational American music form upon which jazz, country, rhythm and blues and, most notably, rock ‘n’ roll are built. "I can't eat a bite/'Cause the man I love/He don't treat me right." — Mamie Smith, "Crazy Blues" "The blues are America’s gift to the world." — rock ‘n’ roll historian Glenn Gass One of the most moving tributes to Smith’s influence is found in a nearby headstone of a design similar to Smith's. Kerry J. Byrne is a lifestyle reporter with Fox News Digital.
"The blues are America’s gift to the world," Indiana University professor emeritus and rock ‘n’ roll historian Glenn Gass told Fox News Digital.