Clara Smith (March 13, 1894 – February 2, 1935) was an American classic female blues singer, billed as the "Queen of the Moaners", She is not believed to have any siblings. She never was enrolled in school but was recorded on the census as able to read and write. that frequently stopped in Spartanburg and sparked her interest in performance.

Career

In 1910, Smith began working on African-American theater circuits, in tent shows, and vaudeville. By 1918, she was appearing as a headliner with the Theater Owners Booking Association circuit across Southern states. By 1923, she had performed at major theatres of the time such as the Lyric in New Orleans, the Dream Theatre in Columbus, Georgia, the Bijou Theatre in Nashville, and the Booker T. Washington Theatre in St. Louis. working with many other musicians such as Fletcher Henderson, Louis Armstrong, and Don Redman. She recorded three duets with Bessie Smith: "Far Away Blues" and "I'm going back to My Used To Be" (Columbia 13007-D), on October 4, 1923 and "My Man Blues" (Columbia 14098-D), on September 1, 1925. She recorded Tom Delaney's "Troublesome Blues" in 1927. Initially a singer of depressing ballads, she later began recording more uptempo numbers. Her May 1926 recording of "Whip It to a Jelly" was noted as "one of the more overt sexual blues". Smith cut 122 sides, all with Columbia Records, with her record sales being topped only by Bessie Smith. Clara Smith was known across the U.S., even performing on the West Coast, which was rare for a blues singer.

During her time performing, Smith met young Josephine Baker and chose to mentor her. Smith and Baker are thought to have had a romantic relationship for a time, notably being referred to as "lady lovers"

See also

  • List of blues musicians
  • Classic female blues
  • List of classic female blues singers
  • List of vaudeville performers: L-Z

References

  • Gravemarker at Deadbluesguys website
  • Biography and Discography in Red Hot Jazz Archive
  • Clara Smith recordings at the Discography of American Historical Recordings.
  • Clara Smith
  • Open Music Archive - Browse