Occupation: singer
Also known as: The Mother of the Blues
Ma Rainey’s Early Career in Entertaining
Gertrude Pridgett, or Ma Rainey as she is more commonly known, was born on April 26, 1886 in Columbus, Georgia, to parents, Thomas and Ella Pridgrett, minstrel show entertainers. When Gertrude was just 14 years old, she followed in her parents footsteps and embarked upon a career in entertaining; she began performing at an opera house in a show called “A Bunch of Black Berries.”Four years later, in 1904, she met and married William Rainey, a performer in a minstrel show that had come to her town. Gertrude began traveling and performing as a dancer, singer, and comedienne with her husband. He called himself “Pa,” so Gertrude adopted “Ma” as her stage name. They traveled throughout the South with various minstrel shows and circuses, including the Rabbit Foot Minstrels.
There were several names the Rainey’s called their show, but they were most known as “Rainey and Rainey, Assassinators of the Blues.” They performed in a large tent on a stage floor made of wood plank and used lanterns for lighting. The simplicity of the forum led to Rainey developing one important skill: she learned to “shout” due to the lack of a microphone.
Ma Rainey’s Relationship with Bessie Smith
It was also during this time that it is alleged that Rainey took Bessie Smith under her wing and mentored her. Rainey and Smith met in 1912 when they both performed in the Moses Stokes troupe. Although some historical accounts have asserted that Rainey taught Smith to sing, it is now believed that Rainey had a very small role, if any, in shaping Smith’s style.Ma Rainey Hears the Blues
Around 1920, Ma and Pa Rainey separated and their professional relationship ended. Rainey formed her own band, Madam Gertrude Ma Rainey and Her Georgia Smart Sets. Once again, she set off on tour with her band. All of Rainey’s travels throughout the South, first with William Rainey and then with her own band, had introduced her to an emerging type of music called the blues. It was after hearing this music, which at the time was sung mostly by Southern black men, that Rainey incorporated it into her act. While Rainey alleged that she began singing the blues in 1902, it has not been substantiated; however, she is considered one of the first stage performers to sing the blues.Ma Rainey Records the Blues
During the time that Rainey was traveling with her band, other female blues singers, known as classic blues singers, were also singing blues music. At the same time, as the technology to record music onto records was becoming popular, talent scouts began searching for black artists to record “race records.” These were records that were specifically targeted at African Americans. In 1920, Mamie Smith recorded the song “Crazy Blues.” It is considered the first blues song ever recorded.Mamie Smith’s record proved that there was a strong market for the blues; it sold over 75,000 copies. Three years after Mamie Smith’s record, Ma finally received the chance to record for Paramount Records in 1923. She was already thirty-seven years old, much older than other female classic blues singers. Rainey recorded “Last Minute Blues” and “Bo-Weavil Blues,” and over the next five years she recorded 92 songs, including “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Stack O’Lee Blues.” Many of her recordings were backed by Fletcher Henderson, Louis Armstrong, Tampa Red, Lovie Austin, and Blind Blake.
Ma Rainey Performs in Vaudeville
Rainey’s first record sold mostly by mail and cost seventy-five cents. With her newfound success, Rainey once again went on the road. This time she performed in theaters on the vaudeville circuit. Her tour schedule throughout the South and Midwest was arranged by the Theater Owners’ Booking Agency, a circuit for black entertainers. It was a grueling schedule and the pay was not very good, but Rainey found even greater success than she had before her recordings.Although Rainey could not sing as well as many of the other female classic blues singers, she was a memorable performer. She appealed to audiences with elaborate costumes: she wore glitzy long gowns and she covered her fingers and neck with beautiful diamonds and gold. Rainey’s most well-known jewelry was a necklace and earrings made of five, ten, and twenty dollar gold coins. She was also known for her rhinestone-studded cane and her fan made of ostrich plumes.
Rainey’s performances with her band, The Wild Cats Jazz Band, were popular. Most remembered about her performance was her unexpected entrance on stage. She was known to hide in a large box that looked like a Victrola, an old fashioned record player machine. As the band would play “Moonshine Blues,” Rainey would begin singing inside the box and then emerged to an excited crowd. Rainey’s voice was unique: it was deep, and although her diction was sometimes difficult to understand, she had no trouble captivating her audience, especially with such a grand entrance.
Ma Rainey Returns to Tent Shows
In 1928, Rainey’s recording career ended. One year later, the stock market crashed and so did the economy. Many people lost their jobs and many businesses closed, including the Theater Owner’s Booking Association. Rainey, however, did not want to stop performing. She began performing throughout the South in tent shows and even carnivals. Like the decline in her performing venues, her jewelry was also less extravagant: she wore fake pearls instead of her legendary gold-coin necklace.Ma Rainey Retires
In 1935, Rainey finally retired. In part, it was due to the emergence of the first “talkie” in 1926. With the development of these new movies, it was difficult for performers like Ma Rainey to compete with this new type of entertainment. At the age of 49, she moved back to Columbus, Georgia and built a home.Rainey had been a smart businesswoman; several years before retiring she had bought two theaters, the Lyric and the Airdome, in Rome, Georgia. In addition to her new business endeavors, Rainey became a member of the Friendship Baptist Church. Just four years after retiring, on December 22, 1939, she died of heart disease.
This article was written on April 6, 2008.
