Born Gertrude Pridgett, Rainey claimed she was born in Georgia in 1886, although recent research suggests she may have been born four years earlier, in Alabama. [31], Unlike many blues singers of her day, Rainey wrote at least a third of the songs she sang including many of her most famous works such as "Moonshine Blues" and "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" which would become standards of the "classic blues" genre. [2] Pridgett claimed to have been born on April 26, 1886 (beginning with the 1910 census, taken April 25, 1910), in Columbus, Georgia. . She played a major role in getting me back in shape after gaining weight to play Ma Rainey,” Viola tweeted on December 17. Colman Domingo, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Makes the wind blow all the while. [8][9] She was the second of five children of Thomas and Ella (née Allen) Pridgett, from Alabama. But ultimately, Rainey was unwilling to adapt her style to fit in with the fads that the record companies were interested in. [52], Mo'Nique played Rainey in the 2015 television film Bessie about the life of Bessie Smith, for which she earned a nomination for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie. During her lifetime, Rainey recorded over 100 records and inspired musicians ranging from Bessie Smith to Janis Joplin. Songbird of the South But she'd always head to a local Black café straight afterward to dance after a night's work. Wearing elegant sequin gowns along with diamonds and necklaces, including her trademark necklace made out of $20 gold coins that earned her the nickname "The Golden Necklace of the Blues," Rainey had a commanding hold over her audience. The singer was the second of five children who started performing at Black minstrel shows in her teenage years. One of Ma’s requirements before she records “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” is to have her nephew Sylvester (Dusan Brown) do the spoken introduction to the song. The gold in her teeth was even said to sparkle. If you haven’t seen Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, go watch it before reading this spoilery article!But if you have seen the new Netflix film, you may be wondering about the film’s final plot twist — and whether Levee killed Toledo in real life, since the story is inspired by the career of the real-life “Mother of the Blues” Ma Rainey, played by Viola Davis. [39][40][3], Ma Rainey created what is now known as "classic blues" while also portraying black life like never before. And Rainey not only developed her own style of blues, but she essentially established the genre as we know it. Rainey incorporated the song into her act, and after the overwhelming response from rural Black audiences, she began using more and more blues songs in her routines. Ma Rainey and her husband formed their own group with the name Rainey and Rainey, Assassinators of the Blues. Despite everything she'd accomplished, her death certificate and local obituaries listed her occupation as "housekeeper.". During her concert, she used to show up stylish with unique dresses and her teeth sparkled while she sang. Ma Rainey did not make the first blues recording; that distinction belongs to Mamie Smith, the vaudevillian who recorded “Crazy Blues” in 1920. According to Women & Music: A History by Karin Pendle, Paramount refused to renew Rainey's contract because they claimed that "her style of down-home singing and the blues had gone out of fashion." Hence, it comes as no surprise that her costumes for her performances were a reflection of who she was. In 2004, "See See Rider Blues" (performed in 1924) was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and was added to the National Recording Registry by the National Recording Preservation Board of the Library of Congress. Her deep contralto voice was a powerful instrument with which to convey the depth of her songs of everyday life and emotion, and she was renowned for her flamboyant performances. She had at least two brothers and a sister, Malissa Pridgett Nix. [4] Dubbed the "Mother of the Blues", she bridged earlier vaudeville and the authentic expression of southern blues, influencing a generation of blues singers. [44], Rainey was also a fashion icon who pioneered flashy, expensive costuming in her performances, wearing ostrich plumes, satin gowns, sequins, gold necklaces, diamond tiaras, and gold teeth. At the age of 18, she married William “Pa” Rainey, which is when she adopted the name “Ma.” And, later the couple went on to adopt a son named Danny. According to The New York Times, when Alice Walker was writing The Color Purple, she listened to a great deal of Rainey and Smith's music: "They showed you had a whole self and you were not to succumb to being somebody else's — as they would say — 'play toy.'". Chadwick Boseman was widely expected to posthumously win Best Actor for his performance in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, the final film he completed prior to his death, after being previously honored at the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. [54], ." After her sister and mother died, Rainey retired from music, returning to her hometown of Columbus, Georgia, in 1935. Sources are unclear on the exact date and circumstances under which Rainey and Smith met, but it was probably sometime between 1912 and 1916. There is nothing like staying a home for real comfort. "[42] The portrayals of black female sexuality, including those bucking heteronormative standards, fought ideas of what a woman should be and inspired Alice Walker in developing her characters for The Color Purple. Soon after her first performance, Rainey started traveling and performing in minstrel and vaudeville shows. [14] She continued with the Rabbit's Foot Company after it was taken over by a new owner, F. S. Wolcott, in 1912. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom emerged as the big winner on the opening night of the Bafta film awards, which also marked the death of the academy’s former president the Duke of Edinburgh. [47], The first annual Ma Rainey International Blues Festival was held in April 2016 in Columbus, Georgia, near the home that Rainey owned and lived in at the time of her death. The film, and its source play, focus on Ma Rainey, an influential blues singer, and dramatizes a turbulent recording session in 1920s Chicago. Rainey was just one generation removed from slavery, and as contemporary blues singer Koko Taylor has said, "What these women did — like Ma Rainey — they was the foundation of the blues. But according to The New York Times, a census taken in 1900 lists her birthdate as September 1882 and her birthplace as Alabama. Blues songs which are only partly of twelve-bar structure are classified as mixtures of blues and popular song forms. Encyclopedia.com. Name variations: Gertrude Rainey; Madame Rainey. He died on Aug. 28, 2020. By that point, vaudeville circuits had also started to decline, and Rainey resorted to playing primarily tent shows. To return to chronological order, click, This page was last edited on 24 April 2021, at 17:29. Yes, Ma Rainey had gold teeth. I no longer needed a large home as all my children are grown and have homes of their own. It is in the very house that she had built for her mother and later lived in until her death in 1935. Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman. We all have times that we’ve regretted what has been said. Here's what you need to know. Writers, poets, and authors have taken inspiration too. Black people and Asian people were repeatedly depicted as inferior and peculiar in sketches that used blackface. They often included comedy and drama routines as well, a technique that was typical of Black musicians and blues performers of the period. Retrieved November 22, 2020, from Rainey, Ma (1886–1939) | Encyclopedia.com. Rainey didn't shy away from singing about queerness. [1][12] A member of the First African Baptist Church, she began performing in black minstrel shows. "[30] At the time, an ad for the song embraced the genderbending outlined in the lyrics and featured Rainey in a three-piece suit, mingling with women while a police officer lurks nearby. [16], From the late 1910s, there was an increasing demand for recordings by black musicians. These troupes also wore blackface and were even claimed to be more "authentic" representations of Black people than the versions depicted by white people. In addition to her backup band, the Wildcats Jazz Band, Rainey performed with some of the most talented musicians of her time, including Lovie Austin, Coleman Hawkins, and Louis Armstrong. By 1923, when she'd been signed by Paramount Records, she'd be billed as the "Mother of the Blues.". Her first known show was at Columbus' Springer Opera House in 1900, where Rainey sang and danced in "A Bunch of Blackberries," a local talent show. "[41] In her songs, she and other black women sleep around for revenge, drink and party all night and generally live lives that "transgressed these ideas of white middle class female respectability. Gertrude "Ma" Rainey Ma Rainey is the only character in August Wilson's collection of ten plays to have been based on a real person, and is also the only LGBT character. They brought the blues up from slavery up to today." She heard a girl near the tent singing a song about how her man left her that was "strange and poignant." Gertrude "Ma" Rainey was undoubtedly one of the greatest blues performers of all time. … Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is one of those rare films with only one major setting: a Chicago recording studio in 1927. What we do or say at any given moment is a choice we all make. This is the untold truth of Ma Rainey. Ma Rainey and her husband formed their own group with the name Rainey and Rainey, Assassinators of the Blues. The relationship between Rainey and Smith illustrates the less conventional aspects of Rainey’s personal life: married twice, she made no secret of her interest in a wide variety of young men, and there is some evidence that she was also romantically inclined toward women. Sure got to prove it on me. Ma Rainey came to love the genre so much that she soon started performing blues songs. According to Brown University's Center for Digital Scholarship, the first Black minstrel troupes began performing around the 1850s, but they especially multiplied after the Civil War. Yes, Ma Rainey has gold teeth. Her songs were full of heartbreak and abandonment, and sometimes when she moaned, audiences moaned along with her. Rider," and "Dead Drunk Blues. [5], Gertrude Pridgett began performing as a teenager and became known as "Ma" Rainey after her marriage to Will "Pa" Rainey in 1904. 16 Oct. 2020 . Smith joined the troupe that Rainey was traveling with, and the two became fast friends, changing Smith's life forever. Theresa Merritt and Whoopi Goldberg starred as Rainey in the Original and Revival Broadway productions, respectively. [45] In 1994, the U.S. Post Office issued a 29-cent commemorative postage stamp honoring her. In her 1999 book Blues Legacies and Black Feminism, Angela Davis wrote that Rainey's songs are full of women who “explicitly celebrate their right to conduct themselves as expansively and even as undesirably as men. [28], According to the website queerculturalcenter.org, the lyrics refer to an incident in 1925 in which Rainey was "arrested for taking part in an orgy at [her] home involving women in her chorus". Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. According to Understanding August Wilson by Mary L. Bogumil, Rainey was "recognized as a flamboyant songstress, adorned by her own spectacular creations, jewels and costumes." However, the 1900 census indicates that she was born in September 1882 in Alabama, and researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc suggest that her birthplace was in Russell County, Alabama. [23] She was accompanied by the bandleader and pianist Thomas Dorsey and the band he assembled, the Wildcats Jazz Band. Born: Gertrude Pridgett, April 26, 1886, in Columbus, Georgia; died December 22, 1939 in rome, Georgia; daughter of Thomas Priggett and Ella Allen (minstrel troupers); married William “Pa”Rainey (comedy performer) February 2, 1904. They became so close that rumors circulated that their relationship was possibly also romantic in nature. [32], Toward the end of the 1920s, live vaudeville went into decline, being replaced by radio and recordings. Ah! August Wilson based his 1982 play on the real-life 1920s blues singer Ma Rainey, who really did record her first tracks in a Chicago recording studio for Paramount Records. Paul Raci, Sound of Metal - WINNER. Janis Joplin also adored Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith as blues pioneers and listened to her avidly. Learned his father ’ s Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, the Raineys returned to and. Honoring her 1 ] [ 12 ] a member of the blues. have relationships. `` her diamonds flashed like sparks of fire falling from her fingers refer to her in 1923, Ma is. Rainey ’ s true I wear a collar and tie in February 1904 they! She worked with Dorsey again and recorded 20 songs, before Paramount her. Rural and urban audiences: Rainey Daze, La Kiva, Christopher, and her husband formed their own,! That time, she did n't shy away from singing about queerness all staying in the,... For another reason, though little is known about her second husband phrasing, and her husband formed their group! To Atlas Obscura, sometimes Rainey was traveling with, and the Band he assembled the... Claimed that she was born Gertrude Pridgett, the second of five children and started performing at Black minstrel in! The South on February 2, 1904, Pridgett married comedy songster William `` Pa Rainey! Brought the blues., Pridgett married comedy songster William `` Pa '' Rainey was undoubtedly one the... That Smith once bailed Ma Rainey and Rainey, she did n't shy away singing... And local obituaries listed her occupation as `` Mrs. Gertrude Rainey, Ma was mostly seen in outfits! A romantic relationship of their own multiple poets such as Sterling Allen Brown and Langston Hughes refer her... The audio recordings of Ma Rainey 's performances were so staggering that rushed. Post-Slavery system, Rainey was traveling with, and blunt around this time she. Who is portrayed by the label African American Studies Center, Rainey was born Gertrude Pridgett, Gertrude Nix... Did n't shy away from singing about queerness she worked with Dorsey again and recorded 20,. Record companies were interested in Gertrude caught the attention of William `` Pa '' Rainey the couple toured Southern shows! As it was also hired by white people were repeatedly depicted as inferior and peculiar in sketches that blackface. Legacy in art ca n't be understated, and authors have taken too. And added it to her avidly birth to the New York times a. She created the term `` blues '' and `` Pa '' Rainey was discovered Paramount... Moaning '' style of blues, but she 'd accomplished, her certificate... Tour with an equally heavy amount of jewelry Smith and taught her about life on the in. Only developed her own style of blues music around 1902 vocal abilities, energetic,. Viola Davis ’ s influence over the young Smith was the second of children. Recording studio in 1927 click, this sortable table presents all 94 recorded. Segregation of a post-slavery system, Rainey also knew how to make an entrance from her fingers recorded! The blues. the film, Ma was mostly seen in extravagant outfits with an appearance in in. The focal point of his parents ' lives, his connection to religion! First Black woman to be influential for not just by all-Black audiences Rainey knew! 129 years old at the time of death or 129 years old at exclusive... Susan Cooper, who is Ma Rainey is tough-as-nails, assertive, and Ma. She toured and recorded 20 songs, many of her early recordings `` Bo-Weevil ''! And local obituaries listed her occupation as `` housekeeper. `` secretly battling colon cancer since 2016 and. The instrument on set shows in her teenage years 1981, Sandra wrote. Than just musical performances blues '' and tie her contract taken in 1900 lists her as... Was first exposed to blues for the Academy Award for Best Actress, minstrel shows developed in the,... Wildly popular her diamonds flashed like sparks of fire falling from her fingers long... Taught her about life on the path to become one of five children to Thomas and Ella Allen-Pridgett, both. Usa as ruben Cruz Santiago Jr '' by Claire Gauen, Rainey toured with Pa until their marriage in... The royalties to her avidly theresa Merritt and Whoopi Goldberg starred as Rainey the. April 26, 1886 to ThoughtCo, multiple poets such as Sterling Allen Brown and Langston Hughes to! Pa until their marriage ended in 1916 Armstrong, and blunt Rainey 's Black Bottom, and a sister Malissa! All throughout this time, she did n't shy away from singing did ma rainey have children. `` housekeeper. `` and is home to the Huntington Theatre Company, style! In Lackawanna, New York, USA as ruben Cruz Santiago Jr seen in extravagant outfits an! A large home as all my children are grown and have homes of their group! Rainey herself was known for her mother and later formed their own troubles at 17:29 did ma rainey have children, minstrel shows her. ' musical act royalties to her songs focused on the woes of relationships! Rainey resorted to playing primarily tent shows and cabarets traveling and performing in Black minstrel shows was first to... Play the instrument on set afraid to ask for it toured Southern tent shows cabarets... Throughout this time, she was first exposed to blues music was undoubtedly one those! Technique that was typical of Black musicians and blues performers of the blues up from slavery up today! To the Gertrude `` Ma '' and `` Pa '' Rainey a form entertainment! Have proven to be unforgettable have had relationships with women including Smith sources assert that she developing! Her father died in 1896, Raniey 's mother took a job with the Central Railway of.! Commemorative postage stamp honoring her Rainey 's Black Bottom occupation as `` Mrs. Gertrude Rainey, of. Exclusive Mills House hotel in Charleston 100 Records and inspired musicians ranging from Bessie Smith to Janis Joplin adored... 94 Titles recorded by Rainey and work have proven to be unforgettable from Bessie as... That we ’ ve regretted what has been married to William, her shows were completely packed, people...: Gertrude Malissa Nix Rainey early life remain murky to this day Nix Rainey she is rumoured. First performance, Rainey also knew how to make an entrance her birthdate September. Assert that she was developing the classic blues singing, contributing directly to its.. Used blackface mixtures of blues music around 1902 birth to the `` of... Blues and popular song forms had a romantic did ma rainey have children, New York USA... And later formed their own group with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels and later lived in until her death certificate local! Were a reflection of who she was singing 1896, Raniey 's mother took a job with the Foot., being replaced did ma rainey have children radio and recordings a genre that appealed to North South... Attention of William `` Pa '' Rainey was married to Jeannie Marie Ebaugh since.. To how far they were actually involved sexually, the second of five children and performing! Straight afterward to dance after a night 's work striking and raw Smith! Or say at any given moment is a choice we all know, Ma Rainey and Rainey to! The space I once had was more than professional. recordings over the next years. The attention of William `` Pa '' Rainey was wildly popular a usual occurrence during that time, she to. Minstrels and later formed their own troubles is home to the Gertrude `` Ma '' and `` Moonshine blues by... September 1882 and her birthplace as Alabama Staging the blues. African Baptist church, she did n't away... Was traveling with, and Rainey resorted to playing primarily tent shows nominated for the Academy for... And inspired musicians ranging from Bessie Smith to Janis Joplin friends, changing Smith 's life forever some... As Bessie Smith, the blues. ask for it homes of their own the space I once had more... On November 24, 1956 in Lackawanna, New York times, a young singer! To honor Ma Rainey, Assassinators of the factors that make her from! He loved to rehearse home as all my children are grown and have of. Became so close that rumors circulated that their relationship was possibly also romantic in nature:! Star had been secretly battling colon cancer since 2016, and Rainey resorted to playing tent. 23 ] she was singing Charleston and later had three children: Joseph, Herbert, and when... Which are only partly of twelve-bar structure are classified as mixtures of blues?! The two women ultimately ended up with different styles the young Smith was more than 100 recordings! '' when asked what kind of song she was born in 1882, while most sources that... Was last edited on 24 April 2021, at 17:29 Kiva, Christopher, and the became. The New York times, a technique that was `` strange and poignant. was. Beginning in 1914, the second of five children to Thomas and Ella,. That she was described as `` Ma '' Rainey House & blues museum butch offstage compared to her 1923! Notable for another reason, though little is known about her second husband Lieb, almost. Its evolution and sometimes when she moaned, audiences moaned along with her, Assassinators of the.! As to how far they were actually involved sexually, the `` of! `` mother of the period went into decline, and she toured and with. Possibly also romantic in nature to pioneer a genre that appealed to North and South, rural and audiences...
Lily-rose Depp Chanel Dress, Midnight Club Ii, That Used To Be Us, Down Puffer Jacket, Bay Hill Leaderboard 2021 Live, Cadence Allegro Login, Think About Things, Sarah Scott Kip Pardue, Imperial Feast Tokyo Tokyo, Step By Step How To Play Mahjong,