Remembered for her popular recordings of "Atlanta Blues" and "Black Man Blues," this 20th century singer and Songwriter received national attention for her contralto vocals and her sensuous blues ballads.
She first exercised her vocal talent by performing spirituals in church and later launched a professional career as a vaudeville entertainer.
Her recordings were compiled and released posthumously in the early 1990s.
A native of Hillsboro, Texas, she recorded music in Dallas, Atlanta, and New Orleans, before eventually settling in California with her husband, Reverend O.P. Smith.
She was born in the same year as fellow blues singer Skip James.
