Born:

April 26, 1886; her parents were Thomas Pridgett Sr. and Ella Allen-Pridgett.

Birthplace:

Columbus, Georgia

Died:

December 22, 1939 in Rome, Georgia

Also Known As:

Her real name was Gertrude Pridgett; she is known as the first great blues singer who earned the title "Mother of the Blues." Aside from her distinct style of singing the blues, Ma Rainey was also a smart businesswoman and flamboyant dresser.

Influence:

At 14 Gertrude worked as a singer and dancer of "A Bunch of Blackberries," a talent show held at the Springer Opera House. When she was 16 she heard a blues song for the first time and was so impressed by it that she started to include blues music in her repertoire. On February 2, 1904 when she was 18, Gertrude married William "Pa" Rainey and together they adopted the name "Ma" and "Pa" Rainey, The couple went on to perform together.

Early Career:

In 1912, the Rainey's were performing with the Moses Stokes troupe. It was during this time when Ma Rainey met Bessie Smith, then a newly-hired dancer. The two eventually became friends. Next, the Rainey's toured with Fat Chappelle's Rabbit Foot Minstrels in 1915 where the couple became known as Assassinators of the Blues. Shortly after, Ma separated from her husband and continued performing with her own band, Madam Gertrude Ma Rainey and Her Georgia Smart. She made her first recording under the Paramount label in 1923.

Rise to Fame:

In 1924 The Wild Cats Jazz Band was organized by the arranger and pianist Thomas A.

Dorsey. The said band served as back-up for Ma's promotional tour for Paramount. The tour opened at Chicago's Grand Theater. Ma performed with The Wild Cats Jazz Band until 1926. She made over 100 recordings under the Paramount label.

Later Years:

Ma Rainey retired from performing in 1935 after the death of her mother and sister. She kept herself busy with her other business ventures such as the Airdome and the Lyric Theater which she both managed. Ma was also active in her church. Rainey's life and music inspired other artists such as Alice Walker who wrote "The Color Purple."

Notable Songs:

Her songs include: "Bo-Weevil Blues," "Moonshine Blues," "Yonder Comes the Blues," (with Louis Armstrong), "See See Rider," "Shave 'Em Dry," "Black Cat, Hoot Owl Blues," "Black Eye Blues," "Runaway Blues" and "Sleep Talking Blues."

Music Sample:

Listen to Ma Rainey's "Roots of Blues" courtesy of YouTube.