Trixie smith biography

Trixie Smith Helped Give Us The Term Rock And Roll

The surname Smith has deep roots in the Blues with Bessie, Mamie, and Clara being the best known. Trixie Smith should be just as well known.

And she should be known for more than just her recording “My Daddy Rocks Me” which gave us the term Rock and Roll.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1895 and while many Blues artists of the early days came from poor backgrounds, Trixie was from a middle class family. She graduated from Selma University in Alabama before she moved to New York in 1915 to pursue a career in minstrel shows and the vaudeville circuit.

http://youtu.be/34EMirp6Oyk

In 1922, Smith first recorded for the Black Swan record label. Harlem, New York, based Black Swan is historic for being America’s first really successful African-American owned label recording for and marketing to African-American audiences. It had been preceded by the far less than successful Broome Special Phonograph Records.

Among the few sides that Trixie had issued on Black Swan was the J. Berni Barbour composition “My Daddy Rocks Me” which include

Trixie Smith (1895 – September 21, 1943) was an African-American blues singer, recording artist, vaudeville entertainer, and actress. She made four dozen recordings.

Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Smith came from a middle class-background. She attended Selma University in Alabama before moving to New York around 1915. Smith worked in minstrel shows and on the TOBA vaudeville circuit, before making her first recordings for the Black Swan label in 1922.
Amongst these were "My Man Rocks Me (With One Steady Roll)" (1922), written by J. Berni Barbour, of historic interest as the first secular recording to reference the phrase "rock and roll". Her record inspired various lyrical elaborations, such as "Rock That Thing" by Lil Johnson and "Rock Me Mama" by Ikey Robinson. Also in 1922, Trixie Smith won first place and a silver cup in a blues singing contest at the Inter-Manhattan Casino in New York, sponsored by dancer Irene Castle, with her song "Trixie's Blues," singing against Alice Carter, Daisy Martin and Lucille Hegamin. S

Trixie Smith

American singer

Trixie Smith

Also known asTrixie Muse
Bornc.1885–1895
Atlanta, Georgia, United States
DiedSeptember 21, 1943 (age 47–58)
New York City, United States
GenresBlues
Occupation(s)Vocalist, actress
Years active1920s – 1930s
LabelsBlack Swan
Paramount
Decca

Musical artist

Trixie Smith (c.1885/1895 – September 21, 1943), was an American blues singer and film actress. She made four dozen recordings and appeared in five films.

Biography

Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Smith came from a middle-class background.[1] Various years are given for her birth including 1885,[1] 1888,[2] and 1895.[3] She attended Selma University, in Alabama, before moving to New York City at the age of twenty around 1915.[4] Soon after, she began working in a number of different cafés and theaters in Harlem and Philadelphia.[5]

She began her career as a vaudeville and minstrel entertainer who performed as a comedian, dancer, actress, and singer in traveling sho

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