Bessie Brown

Bessie Brown

Bessie Brown (1890–1955) also known as "The Original" Bessie Brown, was an American classic female blues, jazz, and cabaret singer. She sometimes recorded under the pseudonyms Sadie Green, Caroline Lee, and possibly Helen Richards. Brown was active as a recording artist from 1925 to 1929. She should not be confused (although often is in biographies and discographies) with the Bessie Brown who recorded vaudeville and blues-styled duets with George W. Williams, over a similar timespan.

Birth and Death Data: Born 1895 (Cleveland), Died 1955 (Cleveland)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1923 - 1929

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, songwriter, piano

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Columbia	81157	10-in.	8/2/1923	Satisfied blues	Bessie Brown ; Fletcher Henderson ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano	vocalist
Columbia	81158	10-in.	8/2/1923	Double crossin' daddy	Bessie Brown ; Fletcher Henderson ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano	vocalist
Columbia	81292	10-in.	10/25/1923	You need some loving	Bessie Brown ; Fletcher Henderson ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano	vocalist
Columbia	81293	10-in.	10/25/1923	Wish I had you (and I'm gonna get you blues)	Bessie Brown ; Fletcher Henderson ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano	vocalist
Columbia	81341	10-in.	11/9/1923	You can't do what my last man did	Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano	vocalist
Columbia	81342	10-in.	11/9/1923	If Mamma quits Papa, what will Papa do	Bessie Brown ; Fletcher Henderson ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano	vocalist
Columbia	81347	10-in.	11/10/1923	He's never gonna throw me down	Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano	vocalist
Columbia	81348	10-in.	11/10/1923	Papa don't you mean your mamma no good	Bessie Brown ; Fletcher Henderson ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano	vocalist
Columbia	81538	10-in.	2/8/1924	You ain't quittin' me without two weeks notice	Alexander Brown ; Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano	vocalist
Columbia	81540	10-in.	2/8/1924	It takes a brownskin man to make a high yellow blue	Alexander Brown ; Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet, with piano	vocalist
Columbia	81543	10-in.	2/8/1924	He's never gonna throw me down	Alexander Brown ; Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano	vocalist
Columbia	81847	10-in.	6/27/1924	No second handed lovin' for mine	Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with cornet and piano	vocalist
Columbia	81848	10-in.	6/27/1924	If you hit my dog I'll kick your cat	Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with cornet and piano	vocalist
Columbia	81855	10-in.	6/30/1924	I'm tired of begging you to treat me right	George W. Williams	Male vocal solo ("blues singer"), with alto saxophone and piano	songwriter
Columbia	81861	10-in.	7/3/1924	How can I get it, when you keep on snatchin' it back?	Alabama Joe ; Bessie Brown	Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with guitar	vocalist
Columbia	81862	10-in.	7/3/1924	Hoodoo blues	Alabama Joe ; Bessie Brown	Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with guitar	vocalist
Columbia	81887	10-in.	7/29/1924	I can do what you do	Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with cornet, trombone, and piano	vocalist
Columbia	81888	10-in.	7/29/1924	When I get the devil in me	Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with cornet and piano	vocalist
Columbia	81890	10-in.	7/29/1924	My right man	Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano	instrumentalist, piano, vocalist
Columbia	81916	10-in.	8/19/1924	Mississippi Delta blues	Bessie Brown	Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with tenor saxophone and piano	vocalist
Columbia	81917	10-in.	8/15/1924	When you go huntin', I'm goin' fishin'	Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with cornet, trombone, and piano	vocalist
Columbia	81924	10-in.	8/19/1924	Pork chop blues	Bessie Brown	Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with tenor saxophone and piano	vocalist
Columbia	140396	10-in.	2/26/1925	Will you love me while you're gone?	Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with clarinet and piano	vocalist
Columbia	W140405	10-in.	2/28/1925	Scat! Mister Sweetback	Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano	vocalist
Columbia	W140406	10-in.	2/28/1925	Bald-headed mamma blues	Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano	vocalist
Columbia	W140429	10-in.	3/13/1925	She's my Sheba, I'm her sheik	Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with clarinet, trombone, and piano	vocalist
Columbia	W140432	10-in.	3/14/1925	Cheatin' blues	Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with clarinet, trombone, and piano	vocalist
Columbia	W140440	10-in.	3/17/1925	What makes Papa hate Mama so?	Lemuel Fowler ; George W. Williams	Male vocal solo ("blues singer"), with piano	songwriter
Columbia	W141902	10-in.	4/2/1926	You can't proposition me	Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano	vocalist
Columbia	W141903	10-in.	4/2/1926	Hit me but don't quit me	Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano	vocalist
Columbia	W141932	10-in.	4/8/1926	Bootlegging daddy	Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano	vocalist
Columbia	W141933	10-in.	4/8/1926	Road house blues	Bessie Brown ; George W. Williams	Female-male vocal duet ("blues singers"), with piano	songwriter, vocalist
Brunswick	E29531	10-in.	Mar. 1929	Song from a cotton field	Bessie Brown	Female vocal solo, with orchestra	vocalist
Brunswick	E29532	10-in.	Mar. 1929	He just don’t appeal to me	Bessie Brown	Female vocal solo, with orchestra	vocalist
Brunswick	E29538	10-in.	Apr. 1929	Tain’t nobody’s fault but my own	Bessie Brown	Female vocal solo, with orchestra	vocalist
Brunswick	E29539	10-in.	Apr. 1929	The blues singer from Alabam’	Bessie Brown	Female vocal solo, with orchestra	vocalist
Brunswick	C1859	10-in.	4/3/1928	Arkansas blues (A down home chant)	Bessie Brown	Female vocal solo, with piano	vocalist
Brunswick	C1860	10-in.	4/3/1928	Sugar	Bessie Brown	Female vocal solo, with piano	vocalist
Brunswick	C1861	10-in.	4/3/1928	Smile	Bessie Brown	Female vocal solo, with piano	vocalist
Brunswick	C1865	10-in.	4/3/1928	Blue Ridge	Bessie Brown	Female vocal solo, with orchestra	vocalist
Brunswick	C1866	10-in.	4/3/1928	The man I love	Bessie Brown	Female vocal solo, with orchestra	vocalist
Brunswick	C1668-C1669	10-in.	1/24/1928	Chloe	Bessie Brown	Female vocal solo, with orchestra	vocalist
Brunswick	C1670-C1671	10-in.	1/24/1928	Can’t help lovin’ dat man	Bessie Brown	Female vocal solo, with orchestra	vocalist
Brunswick	C1672-C1673	10-in.	1/24/1928	Someone else may be there while I’m gone	Bessie Brown	Female vocal solo, with piano	vocalist

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Brown, Bessie," accessed November 22, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/100487.

Brown, Bessie. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/100487.

"Brown, Bessie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 22 November 2024.