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Bessie Smith (born April 14, 1894, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA – died September 26, 1937, in a car accident near Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA) was an American blues singer. Nicknamed the "Empress of the Blues", she was considered by many to be the greatest blues singer of all time. She was also a successful vaudeville entertainer who became the highest paid African-American performer of the roar...
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