Ida May Mack facts for kids

Ida May Mack (also known as Ida Mae Mack) was an American singer and songwriter. She was known for her blues music, including classic female blues, country blues, and Texas blues. In 1928, she recorded eight songs. Six of these songs were released to the public. Not much is known about her life outside of her music career.

Biography

We don't know much about Ida May Mack's early life or where she came from. We do know that in 1928, she traveled by train to Memphis, Tennessee. She went there with other musicians, Bessie Tucker and Charlie Kyle. Their goal was to record music for the Victor record label. Memphis was the closest recording studio to her home, which was probably in Texas.

A pianist named K. D. Johnson played music for both Mack and Tucker's recordings. He was born in Dallas, Texas. The recording sessions happened on August 29 and 30, 1928. Another piano player, Whistlin' Alex Moore, remembered Johnson by the nickname "49." Ida May Mack even called him "Mr. 49" during his piano solos. She also wrote and recorded a song called "Mr. Forty-Nine Blues." Calling him "Mr. 49" was a slang term often used for performers in traveling tent shows. In her song "Elm Street Blues," Mack used the street name to talk about a love that wasn't returned.

Ida May Mack made twelve recordings in total. Six of these songs were released to the public at that time. She recorded different versions of four songs: "Wrong Doin' Daddy," "Elm Street Blues," "Mr. Forty-Nine Blues," and "Good-Bye Rider."

All of Ida May Mack's songs can be found on different music collections called compilation albums. We don't know anything about her life after her recording session in 1928.

Songs

All the songs listed below were written by Ida May Mack. She recorded them between August 29 and 30, 1928.

See also

• List of classic female blues singers
• List of country blues musicians
• List of Texas blues musicians