Clara smith

Clara Smith has been called the most underrated of the classic blues queens. Who was she, and which of her recordings might make the best starting place for getting to know her work? All examples are available on Spotify.

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References are provided at the end of the piece. She was born in or around Spartanburg County, South Carolina, in or She died in of a heart attack. Smith began her musical career as a teenager, working on the southern vaudeville circuit in tent shows and major theatres. She had therefore made her name with the public before she moved to New York, where she began to record with Columbia, who kept her under contract from right up until , suggesting that she had a steady following.

She also recorded once for the Okeh label under the name Violet Green. In all, Smith recorded more than sides of music, including six traditional black spirituals. Smith was marketed as Queen of the Moaners.