Bessie Smith, known as the "Empress of the Blues," was a pioneering African American blues singer during the 1920s and 1930s. She was born on April 15, 1894, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and rose to fame as one of the greatest female blues singers of her time.

Smith's powerful voice and emotional delivery captured the hearts of audiences across the country. Her recordings, including hits like "Downhearted Blues" and "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out," helped define the blues genre and influenced generations of musicians to come.

Despite facing racial discrimination and segregation, Smith became one of the highest-paid Black performers of her era and toured extensively throughout the United States. She also had a successful recording career with Columbia Records, which released over 160 songs by her.

Tragically, Bessie Smith's life was cut short when she died in a car accident on September 26, 1937, at the age of 43. Her legacy as a groundbreaking African American artist and a trailblazer in the world of blues music lives on to this day.