Notable Lesbians
This week’s Notable Lesbian is:
Gertrude Malissa Nix Pridgett Rainey
September, 1882 – December 22, 1939
Better known as Ma Rainey, this extraordinary woman one of the earliest known professional blues singers and one of the first generation of such singers to record.
She was billed as “The Mother of the Blues.” She did much to develop and popularize the form and was an important influence on younger blues women, such as Bessie Smith, and their careers. Although she married fellow vaudeville singer William ‘Pa’ Rainey in 1904, it was widely known, though less discussed, that she was bisexual.
Interesting tid bit:
Rainey signed with Paramount Records and, between 1923 and 1928, she recorded 100 songs, sometimes accompanied such jazz notables as Louis Armstrong, Kid Ory, Fletcher Henderson, and others. The 1982 August Wilson play Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom was based on her career
Went out last night with a crowd of my friends,
They must have been women, ’cause I don’t like no men.
Wear my clothes just like a fan
Talk to gals just like any old man
‘Cause they say I do it, ain’t nobody caught me
Sure got to prove it on me.~ Ma Rainey, Prove It On Me
The pic above was provided by The New Georgia Encyclopedia
If you have a suggestion for a Notable Lesbian, contact me and I’ll highlight her in an upcoming post.
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May 24th, 2007 at 10:47 am
Thanks for the posting! I didn’t know that about Ma Rainey.
November 13th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
[...] Category: Notable Lesbians How am I supposed to choose my favorite? Every woman spotlighted in the Notable Lesbians series is special, unqiue and brilliant. But, if I am forced to choose, here’s one that just plain made me smile when writing about her. Ma Rainey [...]