Gertrude “Ma” Rainey is considered the “Mother of the Blues” for being one of the first African-American professional blues singers and among the first generation to record.
Born in 1886 as Gertrude Pridgett, the singer started her career as a teenager and adopted the nickname of “Ma” Rainey after marrying Will “Pa” Rainey in 1904.
The Raineys toured with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels before forming their group, Rainey and Rainey, Assassinators of the Blues — by the name; you can tell they were killing it.
And in fact, she did! After her first recording in 1923, the trailblazing blues singer made over 100 recordings in just five years.
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