Virginia Liston
Virginia Liston (née Crawford; c. 1890 – June 1932) was an American classic female blues and jazz singer. She spent most of her career in vaudeville. She performed with her husband, Samuel H. Gray, as Liston and Liston. In the 1920s she made a series of recordings that included performances with Clarence Williams and his Blue Five on "You've Got the Right Key, but the Wrong Keyhole" and "Early in the Morning", and with the Clarence Williams Washboard Band on "Cushion Foot Stomp", and "P.D.Q. Blues". |
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 44 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | 80584 | 10-in. | 10/3/1922 | Mexican blues | Leona Williams | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
| Columbia | 81509 | 10-in. | 1/29/1924 | You don't know my mind | Clara Smith | Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with alto saxophone and piano | lyricist | |
| OKeh | S-71846 | 10-in. | September 1923 | Bed time blues | Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, contralto, songwriter | |
| OKeh | S-71847 | 10-in. | September 1923 | You thought I was blind but now I see | Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, contralto, lyricist | |
| OKeh | S-71862 | 10-in. | September 1923 | You don't know my mind blues | Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, contralto, lyricist | |
| OKeh | S-71863 | 10-in. | September 1923 | Sally Long blues | Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, contralto, lyricist | |
| OKeh | S-72063 | 10-in. | 11/15/1923 | Don’t agitate me blues | Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, contralto, songwriter | |
| OKeh | S-72064 | 10-in. | 11/15/1923 | Happy shout | Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, contralto, songwriter | |
| OKeh | S-72101 | 10-in. | November 1923 | House rent stomp | Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, contralto | |
| OKeh | S-72102 | 10-in. | November 1923 | Shreveport blues | Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, contralto | |
| OKeh | S-72232 | 10-in. | Jan. 1924 | You can have it (I don't want it) | Sam Gray ; Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams | Female-male vocal duet, with piano | vocalist, contralto | |
| OKeh | S-72233 | 10-in. | Jan. 1924 | Just take one long last lingering look | Sam Gray ; Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams | Female-male vocal duet, with piano | vocalist, contralto | |
| OKeh | S-72258 | 10-in. | Jan. 1924 | I don't love nobody | Virginia Liston | Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio | vocalist, contralto | |
| OKeh | S-72259 | 10-in. | Jan. 1924 | 'Tain't a doggone thing but the blues | Virginia Liston | Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio | vocalist, contralto | |
| OKeh | S-72265 | 10-in. | Jan. 1924 | Jail house blues | Virginia Liston | Female vocal solo, with guitar | vocalist, contralto | |
| OKeh | S-72266 | Not documented | Jan. 1924 | [Unknown title(s)] | Virginia Liston | Female vocal solo, with guitar | vocalist, contralto | |
| OKeh | S-72478 | 10-in. | Apr. 1924 | Mississippi blues | Virginia Liston | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, contralto | |
| OKeh | S-72479 | 10-in. | Apr. 1924 | I never knew what the blues were (Until you went away) | Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, contralto | |
| OKeh | S-72480 | 10-in. | Apr. 1924 | San Francisco blues | Virginia Liston | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, contralto | |
| OKeh | S-72514 | 10-in. | May 1924 | You don't know my mind blues | Jamaica Jazzers | Jazz/dance quartet | composer | |
| OKeh | S-72890 | 10-in. | Oct. 1924 | Pineland blues | Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, contralto | |
| OKeh | S-72891 | 10-in. | Oct. 1924 | Weeping willow blues | Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, contralto | |
| OKeh | S-72915 | 10-in. | 10/17/1924 | Early in the morning | Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Virginia Liston | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance quintet | vocalist, contralto | |
| OKeh | S-72916 | 10-in. | 10/17/1924 | You've got the right key, but the wrong keyhole | Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Virginia Liston | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance quintet | vocalist, contralto | |
| OKeh | S-72934 | 10-in. | Oct. 1924 | Give it to me good | Virginia Liston ; Clarence Williams | Female vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, contralto |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Liston, Virginia," accessed November 25, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/109153.
Liston, Virginia. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 25, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/109153.
"Liston, Virginia." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Liston, Virginia - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no91020831
Wikidata: Virginia Liston - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q13561905
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/19868077
MusicBrainz: Virginia Liston - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/68ec4f9a-ca42-44a4-80a8-ef2c99cb5bf7
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