Bessie Jones (American singer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bessie Jones
|
|
|---|---|
Jones in 1973
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Mary Elizabeth Jones |
| Born | February 8, 1902 Smithville, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | July 17, 1984 (aged 82) Brunswick, Georgia, U.S. |
| Genres | Gospel, folk |
Mary Elizabeth Jones (born February 8, 1902 – died July 17, 1984) was an American gospel and folk singer. She is known for helping to share traditional folk songs, games, and stories with many people in the 20th century. Alan Lomax, a famous music collector, met Jones in 1959. He said she was "on fire to teach America" and called her "the Mother Courage of American Black traditions."
Bessie Jones's Life and Music
Bessie grew up in a family that loved music in Dawson, Georgia. Her grandfather, who was born in Africa, taught her many songs he sang while working in the fields. These songs were very old and important.
When she was older, Bessie moved to St. Simons Island in Georgia. There, she joined a group called the Georgia Sea Island Singers. This group worked to keep old African-American songs and dances alive.
In 1961, Bessie traveled to New York City. She wanted Alan Lomax to record her life story and all the songs she knew. These recordings are now kept safe in the Alan Lomax archive.
Bessie and the Georgia Sea Island Singers traveled a lot in the 1960s. They sang in famous places like Carnegie Hall and Central Park. They also performed at big events like the Newport Folk Festival.
Bessie Jones received many important awards for her music. These included a National Heritage Fellowship in 1982 and the Duke Ellington Fellowship at Yale University. She passed away in 1984.
Her Musical Influence
Bessie Jones's music continues to inspire artists today. Her 1960 song "Sometimes" was used by the American electronic musician Moby in his 1998 song "Honey".
Another one of her songs, "Beggin' the Blues" from 1977, was used by Norman Cook for the 1990 song "Burundi Blues" by Beats International.
Partial Discography
- Get in Union (Tompkins Square) 2015
- Join the Band: The Georgia Sea Island Singers (Global Jukebox) 2012
- Southern Journey Recordings, V. 12, Georgia Sea Islands: Songs and Spirituals (Rounder 1712)
- Southern Journey Recordings, V. 13, Earliest Times: Georgia Sea Island: Songs for Everyday Living (Rounder 1713)
- Put Your Hand On Your Hip, and Let Your Backbone Slip: Songs and Games from the Georgia Sea Islands (Rounder 11587) 2001
- Step It Down (Rounder) 1979
- So Glad I'm Here (Rounder 2015) 1974
