Ma Rainey
1882 or 1886-1939
Gertrude ‘Ma’ Rainey (1882 or 1886 - 1939) was a singer who popularized the “classic blues” style through her performances throughout the U.S. in the 1910s and 1920s and through nearly 100 recordings made between 1923 and 1928. In New York, she performed at the Lincoln Theater in Harlem and her emotive vocal style, audacious stage persona, and bold song lyrics inspired Harlem Renaissance writers like Langston Hughes. She wrote many of her own songs, including “Prove It On Me Blues” which refers to her affairs with women, and she was a pioneer of African-American feminism through her lyrics, performance style, and influence on female and male audiences.