People, Locations, Episodes

Mary Dawson, Opera Singer, and Teacher born

*On this date in 1894, Mary Dawson was born. She was an African American musician, administrator, and teacher and the founding director of the National Negro Opera Company (NNOC).

Bessie Smith, the ‘Blues Empress’ born.

This date marks the birthday of Bessie Smith in 1894. She was an African American woman entertainer who danced, acted and performed comedy.

Turner Layton, Pianist born

*Turner Layton was born on this date in 1894.  He was a Black songwriter, singer, and pianist.   Born John Turner Layton, Jr., in Washington, D.C., he was the son of John Turner Layton, “a bass singer, music educator, and hymn composer.” After receiving a musical education from his father, he attended Howard University Dental School. Later, in the early 1900s, he came […]

Ada ‘Bricktop,’ Smith, Singer born

*Ada Smith was born on this date in 1894. The original “Bricktop,” she was an African American vaudevillian, saloon entertainer, international host, and nightclub owner.

Bennie Moten, Jazz Pianist born

*On this date in 1894, Bennie Moten was born. He was an African American pianist and one of the earliest known organizers of bands in the Midwest in the emergent years of jazz.

Moten was born in Kansas City, MO. He became a band leader in and around his hometown in 1922 and remained so until his death. His made his recording debut in 1923, and, although many of his recordings sound unremarkable, he is regarded as a figure of great importance in the development of the larger jazz orchestra.

Black History and American Ragtime Music, a story

*Ragtime music is celebrated on this date in 1895. Ragtime is a musical style that peaked from the 1890s to the 1910s. Its cardinal feature is its syncopated or “ragged” rhythm. Ragtime music originated within African communities in the United States in the late 19th century and became a distinctly American form of popular music. […]

Morris Karnofsky, Businessman born.

*Morris Karnofsky was born on this date in 1895.  He was a white-Jewish American tailor, coal and junk owner, and record store owner. He was born in Lithuania. His family, Jewish immigrants, had roots in New Orleans, LA.  This was near Girod and Franklin Streets, a few blocks from where the family of Louis Armstrong lived. When […]

Lizzie Miles, Blues Singer born

*On this date in 1895, Lizzie Miles was born.

Alberta Hunter, Blues Singer born

On this date in 1895, Alberta Hunter was born in Memphis, TN. She was an African American blues and cabaret singer and an early and enduring Black recording star.

Mance Lipscomb, Blues and Folk Songter born

*Mance Lipscomb was born on this date in 1895. He was a Black blues singer, guitarist, and songster. Beau De Glen “Mance” Lipscomb was from near Navasota, Texas. His father was a slave in Alabama; his mother was half African and Native American. As a youth, Lipscomb took the name Mance (short for emancipation) from […]

Jimmie Noone, Clarinetist born

This date marks the birth of Jimmie Noone in 1895. He was an African American jazz clarinetist noted for his lyricism and refinement of technique.

William Grant Still, Symphonic Composer born

On this date in 1895, William Grant Still was born. He was an African American musician and composer.

Eva Taylor, Blues Singer born

Eva Taylor was born on this date in 1895. She was an African American blues singer.

Born Irene Gibbons in St. Louis, Taylor toured with vaudeville troupes as a child,, not only in the U. S. but also in Europe and the South Pacific. In the early 1920s, she moved to New York City, where she became a popular club act, and married Clarence Williams. In 1922, Taylor recorded for the Black Swan label; later on, she cut sides for Okeh, Columbia, and Bluebird. Her repertoire was blues-based, but she also included jazz and pop pieces in her performances.

Trixie Smith, Singer born

*This date in 1895 is celebrated as the birth date of Trixie Smith, a Black singer and musician from Atlanta, Georgia. She studied at Selma University, moved to New York in 1915, and performed in the vaudeville circuit. She had a distinctive voice and a delightful style. She recorded from 1922 to 1925 for Black Swan and Paramount Records, with […]

Manet Harrison Fowler, Classical Soprano and Musician born

*Manet Harrison Fowler was born on this date in 1895. She was a Black musician, dramatic soprano, artist, voice coach, piano teacher, conductor, music educator, and midwife. Manet Helen Harrison was born in Fort Worth, Texas, to Taylor Henry Harrison, an African, and Carrie Vickers Harrison, a Creole, both Louisiana natives. She was a child […]