Wild Women Don't Have the Blues 1/2

Blues music has its roots in the work songs, hollers, and spirituals of generations of black field hands--and blossomed into an art form in its own right during the social and economic transformations of African-American life in the early 20th century. Ma Rainey took the blues to a wider audience with traveling vaudeville shows, while Mamie Smith's recordings broke down barriers for black artists of all musical genres. With dozens of rare renditions of early blues songs, this program looks at the careers of Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Ida Cox, Alberta Hunter, Ethel Waters, and other legendary women who together helped to establish the blues as a vital part of America's cultural legacy.

Added 8 Jun 2026