Ma Rainey

Gertrude "Ma" Rainey ( Pridgett; April 26, 1886 – December 22, 1939) was an American blues singer and influential early-blues recording artist. Dubbed the "Mother of the Blues", she bridged earlier vaudeville and the authentic expression of southern blues, influencing a generation of blues singers. Rainey was known for her powerful vocal abilities, energetic disposition, majestic phrasing, and a "moaning" style of singing. Her qualities are present and most evident in her early recordings "Bo-Weevil Blues" and "Moonshine Blues".

Gertrude Pridgett began performing as a teenager and became known as "Ma" Rainey after her marriage to Will "Pa" Rainey in 1904. They toured with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels and later formed their own group, Rainey and Rainey, Assassinators of the Blues. Her first recording was made in 1923. In the following five years, she made over 100 recordings, including "Bo-Weevil Blues" (1923), "Moonshine Blues" (1923), "See See Rider Blues" (1925), the blues standard "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" (1927), and "Soon This Morning" (1927).

Rainey also collaborated with Thomas Dorsey, Tampa Red, and Louis Armstrong, and toured and recorded with the Georgia Jazz Band. Touring until 1935, she then largely retired from performing and continued as a theater impresario in her hometown of Columbus, Georgia, until her death four years later. She took on the stage name "Ma Rainey", which was "a play on her husband's nickname, 'Pa.

Early career Pridgett began her career as a performer at a talent show in Columbus, Georgia, when she was approximately 12 to 14 years old. She formed the Alabama Fun Makers Company with her husband, Will Rainey, but in 1906 they both joined Pat Chappelle's much larger and more popular Rabbit's Foot Company, where they were billed together as "Black Face Song and Dance Comedians, Jubilee Singers [and] Cake Walkers". In 1910, she was described as "Mrs. Gertrude Rainey, our coon shouter". such as the 1928 song "Prove It on Me":

They said I do it, ain't nobody caught me. Sure got to prove it on me. Went out last night with a crowd of my friends. They must've been women, 'cause I don't like no men. It's true I wear a collar and tie. Makes the wind blow all the while.

According to the Queer Cultural Center's website, 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". The political activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis noted that Prove It on Me' is a cultural precursor to the lesbian cultural movement of the 1970s, which began to crystallize around the performance and recording of lesbian-affirming songs." 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.

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.

Toward the end of the 1920s, live vaudeville went into decline, being replaced by radio and recordings.

In 1935, Rainey returned to her hometown, Columbus, Georgia, and became the proprietress of three theaters, the Liberty in Columbus, and the Lyric and the Airdrome in Rome, Georgia, 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". 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. Bragging about sexual escapades was popular in men's songs at the time but her use of these themes in her works established her as both fiercely independent and fearless and many have drawn connections between her use of these themes and their modern use in Hip-Hop.

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. In 1994, the U.S. Post Office issued a 29-cent commemorative postage stamp honoring her. 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.

In 2007, a small museum dedicated to Ma Rainey opened in Columbus, Georgia, in the house that she had built for her mother and later lived in from 1935 until her death in 1939.

The first annual Ma Rainey International Blues Festival was held in April 2016 in Columbus, near the home that Rainey lived in at the time of her death. In 2017, the Rainey-McCullers School of the Arts opened in Columbus, named in honor of Rainey and author Carson McCullers.

In 2023, Rainey was awarded a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The announcement noted her "deep voice and mesmerizing stage presence" and that she, "recorded almost 100 records, many of them national hits that are now part of the American musical canon".

In popular culture Sterling A. Brown wrote the poem "Ma Rainey" in 1932 about how "When Ma Rainey / comes to town" people everywhere would hear her sing. In 1981, Sandra Lieb wrote the first full-length book about Rainey titled Mother of the Blues: A Study of Ma Rainey.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, a 1982 play by August Wilson, is a fictionalized account of a recording of her song of the same title set in 1927. Theresa Merritt and Whoopi Goldberg starred as Rainey in the original and revival Broadway productions, respectively. Viola Davis portrayed Rainey in the 2020 film adaptation of the play and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

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.

Discography

1923-28 - Mother Of The Blues (5xCD) (JSP, 2007) 1923-24 - Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Vol.1 (Document Recs, 1997) 1924-25 - Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Vol.2 (Document Recs, 1997) 1925-26 - Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Vol.3 (Document Recs, 1997) 1926-27 - Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Vol.4 (Document Recs, 1997) 1928-00 - Complete 1928 Sessions Chronological Order Vol.4 (Document Recs, 1993

This sortable table presents all 94 titles recorded by Rainey. The recording dates are approximate. The classification, by Sandra Lieb, is almost entirely by form. Blues songs that are only partly of twelve-bar structure are classified as mixtures of blues and popular song forms. Songs without any twelve-bar or eight-bar structure are classified as non-blues.

Click any label to sort. To return to chronological order, click #. Matrix Recordingdate Title Accompaniment Paramountissue no. Sandra Liebclassification JSP77933 DocumentDOCD Notes 01 1596 1923/12 "Bad Luck Blues" Lovie AustinBlues Serenaders 12081 Twelve-bar blues A 5581 02 1597 1923/12 "Bo-Weavil Blues" Lovie AustinBlues Serenaders 12080 Mixture of blues and popular song forms A 5581 Another take on JSP & DOCD 03 1598 1923/12 "Barrel House Blues" Lovie AustinBlues Serenaders 12082 Twelve-bar blues A 5581 04 1599 1923/12 "Those All Night Long Blues" Lovie AustinBlues Serenaders 12081 Non-blues A 5581 Another take on JSP & DOCD 05 1608 1923/12 "Moonshine Blues" Lovie AustinBlues Serenaders 12083 Mixture of blues and popular song forms A 5581 06 1609 1923/12 "Last Minute Blues" Lovie AustinBlues Serenaders 12080 Twelve-bar blues A 5581 07 1612 1923/12 "Southern Blues" Lovie AustinBlues Serenaders 12083 Twelve-bar blues A 5581 08 1613 1923/12 "Walking Blues" Lovie AustinBlues Serenaders 12082 Twelve-bar blues A 5581 09 1698 1924/03 "Lost Wandering Blues" The Pruitt Twins 12098 Twelve-bar blues A 5581 10 1699 1924/03 "Dream Blues" The Pruitt Twins 12098 Twelve-bar blues A 5581 11 1701 1924/03 "Honey Where You Been So Long?" Lovie AustinBlues Serenaders 12200 Non-blues A 5581 12 1702 1924/03 "Ya-Da-Do" Her Georgia Jazz Band 12257 Non-blues A 5581 Another take on JSP & DOCD 13 1703 1924/03 "Those Dogs of Mine""(Famous Cornfield Blues)" Lovie AustinBlues Serenaders 12215 Non-blues A 5581 14 1704 1924/03 "Lucky Rock Blues" Lovie AustinBlues Serenaders 12215 Mixture of blues and popular song forms A 5581 15 1741 1924/04 "South Bound Blues" Her Georgia Jazz Band 12227 Non-blues A 5581 16 1758 1924/05 "Lawd Send Me a Man Blues" Her Georgia Jazz Band 12227 Non-blues A 5581 17 1759 1924/05 "Ma Rainey's Mystery Record" Lovie AustinBlues Serenaders 12200 Twelve-bar blues A 5581 18 1824 1924/08 "Shave 'Em Dry Blues" The Pruitt Twins 12222 Eight-bar blues B 5581 19 1825 1924/08 "Farewell Daddy Blues" The Pruitt Twins 12222 Twelve-bar blues B 5581 20 1922 1924/10 "Booze and Blues" Her Georgia Jazz Band 12242 Twelve-bar blues B 5582 21 1923 1924/10 "Toad Frog Blues" Her Georgia Jazz Band 12242 Twelve-bar blues B 5582 22 1924 1924/10 "Jealous Hearted Blues" Her Georgia Jazz Band 12252 Twelve-bar blues B 5582 23 1925 1924/10 "See See Rider Blues" Her Georgia Jazz Band 12252 Mixture of blues and popular song forms B 5582 With Louis Armstrong; another take on JSP & DOCD 24 1926 1924/10 "Jelly Bean Blues" Her Georgia Jazz Band 12238 Mixture of blues and popular song forms B 5582 With Louis Armstrong 25 1927 1924/10 "Countin' the Blues" Her Georgia Jazz Band 12238 Twelve-bar blues B 5582 With Louis Armstrong; another take on JSP & DOCD 26 10001 1924/11 "Cell Bound Blues" Her Georgia Jazz Band 12257 Mixture of blues and popular song forms B 5582 27 2136 1925/05 "Army Camp Harmony Blues" Her Georgia Jazz Band 12284 Twelve-bar blues B 5582 Another take on JSP & DOCD 28 2137 1925/05 "Explaining the Blues" Her Georgia Jazz Band 12284 Twelve-bar blues B 5582 Another take on JSP & DOCD 29 2138 1925/05 "Louisiana Hoo Doo Blues" Her Georgia Jazz Band 12290 Twelve-bar blues B 5582 30 2138 1925/05 "Goodbye Daddy Blues" Her Georgia Jazz Band 12290 Mixture of blues and popular song forms B 5582 31 2209 1925/05 "Stormy Seas Blues" Her Georgia Band 12295 Twelve-bar blues B 5582 Another take on DOCD5625 32 2210 1925/08 "Rough and Tumble Blues" Her Georgia Band 12311 Twelve-bar blues B 5582 33 2211 1925/08 "Night Time Blues" Her Georgia Band 12303 Twelve-bar blues B 5582 Another take on JSP & DOCD 34 2212 1925/08 "Levee Camp Moan" Her Georgia Band 12295 Non-blues B 5582 35 2213 1925/08 "Four Day Honorary Scat" Her Georgia Band 12303 Non-blues B 5582 Misprint for "'Fore Day"; another take on JSP & DOCD 36 2214 1925/08 "Memphis Bound Blues" Her Georgia Band 12311 Twelve-bar blues B 5582 37 23691925/12 "Slave to the Blues" Her Georgia Band 12332 Twelve-bar blues C 5583 38 2370 1925/12 "Yonder Come the Blues" Her Georgia Band 12357 Non-blues C 5583 39 2371 1925/12 "Titanic Man Blues" Her Georgia Band 12374 Mixture of blues and popular song forms C 5583 Another take on JSP & DOCD 40 2372 1925/12 "Chain Gang Blues" Her Georgia Band 12338 Twelve-bar blues C 5583 41 2373 1925/12 "Bessemer Bound Blues" Her Georgia Jazz Band 12374 Twelve-bar blues C 5583 Another take on JSP & DOCD 42 2374 1925/12 "Oh My Babe Blues" Her Georgia Band 12332 Non-blues C 5583 43 2375 1925/12 "Wringing and Twisting Blues" Her Georgia Band 12338 Non-blues C 5583 44 23691925/12 "Stack O'Lee Blues" Her Georgia Band 12357 Ballad C 5583 45 2448 1926/03 "Broken Hearted Blues" Her Georgia Band 12364 Twelve-bar blues C 5583 Another take on DOCD5625 46 2451 1926/03 "Jealousy Blues" Her Georgia Band 12364 Non-blues C 5583 Another take on DOCD5660 47 2452 1926/03 "Seeking Blues" Her Georgia Band 12352 Mixture of blues and popular song forms C 5583 Another take on JSP & DOCD 48 2466 1926/03 "Mountain Jack Blues" Jimmy Blythe (piano) 12352 Twelve-bar blues C 5583 Another take on JSP & DOCD 49 2627 1926/06 "Down in the Basement" Her Georgia Band 12395 Non-blues C 5583 50 2628 1926/06 "Sissy Blues" Her Georgia Band 12384 Twelve-bar blues C 5583 51 2629 1926/06 "Broken Soul Blues" Her Georgia Band 12384 Non-blues C 5583 52 2631 1926/06 "Trust No Man" Lillian Henderson (piano) 12395 Non-blues C 5583 53 405 1926/11 "Morning Hour Blues" Jimmy Blythe (piano)Blind Blake (guitar) 12455 Twelve-bar blues D 5584 54 407 1926/11 "Weepin' Woman Blues" Her Georgia Boys 12455 Twelve-bar blues D 5584 55 408 1926/11 "Soon This Morning" Her Georgia Band 12438 Twelve-bar blues D 5584 56 4019 1926/12 "Little Low Mamma Blues" Blind Blake (guitar)possibly Leroy Picket (violin) 12419 Twelve-bar blues D 5584 57 4020 1926/12 "Grievin Hearted Blues" Blind Blake (guitar)possibly Leroy Picket (violin) 12419 Mixture of blues and popular song forms D 5584 58 4021 1926/12 "Don't Fish in My Sea" Jimmy Blythe (piano) 12438 Twelve-bar blues D 5584 59 4082 1927/08 "Big Boy Blues" Her Georgia Band 12548 Twelve-bar blues D 5584 60 4083 1927/08 "Blues Oh Blues" Her Georgia Band 12566 Non-blues D 5584 61 4090 1927/08 "Damper Down Blues" Her Georgia Band 12548 Twelve-bar blues D 5584 62 4091 1927/08 "Gone Daddy Blues" Her Georgia Band 12526 Mixture of blues and popular song forms D 5584 63 4092 1927/08 "Oh Papa Blues" Her Georgia Band 12566 Non-blues D 5584 64 4707 1927/08 "Misery Blues" Her Georgia Band 12508 Non-blues D 5584 65 4708 1927/08 "Dead Drunk Blues" Her Georgia Band 12508 Twelve-bar blues D 5584 66 4709 1927/08 "Slow Driving Moan" Her Georgia Band 12526 Mixture of blues and popular song forms D 5584 67 20228 1927/12 "Blues the World Forgot—Part 1" Her Georgia Band 12647 Comedy D 5584 68 20229 1927/12 "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" Her Georgia Band 12590 Non-blues D 5584 69 20230 1927/12 "Blues the World Forgot—Part 2" Her Georgia Band 12647 Comedy D 5584 70 20231 1927/12 "Hellish Rag" Her Georgia Band 12612 Non-blues D 5584 71 20232 1927/12 "Georgia Cake Walk" Her Georgia Band 12590 Comedy D 5584 72 20233 1927/12 "New Bo-Weavil Blues" Her Georgia Band 12603 Mixture of blues and popular song forms D 5584 73 20232 1927/12 "Moonshine Blues" Her Georgia Band 12603 Mixture of blues and popular song forms D 5584 74 20233 1927/12 "Ice Bag Papa" Her Georgia Band 12612 Non-blues D 5584 75 20661 1928/06 "Black Cat Hoot Owl Blues" Her Tub Jug Washboard Band 12687 Twelve-bar blues E 5156 Band led by Georgia Tom 76 20662 1928/06 "Log Camp Blues" Her Tub Jug Washboard Band 12804 Twelve-bar blues E 5156 Band led by Georgia Tom 77 20663 1928/06 "Hear Me Talking to You" Her Tub Jug Washboard Band 12668 Twelve-bar blues E 5156 Band led by Georgia Tom 78 20664 1928/06 "Hustlin' Blues" Her Tub Jug Washboard Band 12804 Twelve-bar blues E 5156 Band led by Georgia Tom 79 20665 1928/06 "Prove It on Me Blues" Her Tub Jug Washboard Band 12668 Non-blues E 5156 Band led by Georgia Tom 80 20666 1928/06 "Victim of the Blues" Her Tub Jug Washboard Band 12687 Twelve-bar blues E 5156 Band led by Georgia Tom 81 20667 1928/06 "Traveling Blues" Her Tub Jug Washboard Band 12707 Twelve-bar blues E 5156 Band led by Georgia Tom; another take on JSP and DOCD5216 82 20668 1928/06 "Deep Moaning Blues Blues" Her Tub Jug Washboard Band 12707 Twelve-bar blues E 5156 Band led by Georgia Tomanother take on JSP & DOCD 83 20878 1928/09 "Daddy Goodbye Blues" Georgia Tom Dorsey (piano)Tampa Red (guitar) 12963 Eight-bar blues E 5156 84 20879 1928/09 "Sleep Talking Blues" Georgia Tom Dorsey (piano)Tampa Red (guitar) 12760 Twelve-bar blues E 5156 Another take on JSP & DOCD 85 20880 1928/09 "Tough Luck Blues" Georgia Tom Dorsey (piano)Tampa Red (guitar) 12735 Twelve-bar blues E 5156 86 20881 1928/09 "Blame It on the Blues" Georgia Tom Dorsey (piano)Tampa Red (guitar) 12760 Twelve-bar blues E 5156 87 20882 1928/09 "Sweet Rough Man" Georgia Tom Dorsey (piano)Tampa Red (guitar) 12926 Twelve-bar blues E 5156 88 20883 1928/09 "Runaway Blues" Georgia Tom Dorsey (piano)Tampa Red (guitar) 12902 Twelve-bar blues E 5156 89 20885 1928/09 "Screech Owl Blues" Eddie Miller (piano) 12735 Twelve-bar blues E 5156 90 20886 1928/09 "Black Dust Blues" Eddie Miller (piano) 12926 Twelve-bar blues E 5156 91 20897 1928/09 "Leaving This Morning" Georgia Tom Dorsey (piano)Tampa Red (guitar) 12902 Twelve-bar blues E 5156 92 20898 1928/09 "Black Eye Blues" Georgia Tom Dorsey (piano)Tampa Red (guitar) 12963 Twelve-bar blues E 5156 Another take on JSP & DOCD 93 20921 1928/10 "Ma and Pa Poorhouse Blues" Papa Charlie Jackson (duet & banjo) 12718 Twelve-bar blues E 5156 94 20144 1928/10 "Big Feeling Blues" Papa Charlie Jackson (duet & banjo) 12718 Twelve-bar blues E 5156