Sippie Wallace facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sippie Wallace
Background information
Birth name	Beulah Belle Thomas
Born	(1898-11-01)November 1, 1898 Plum Bayou, Jefferson County, Arkansas, U.S.
Died	November 1, 1986(1986-11-01) (aged 88) Detroit, Michigan
Genres	Blues, jazz
Occupation(s)	Singer, pianist, organist, songwriter
Instruments	Piano, organ
Years active	ca. 1918–1986
Labels	Okeh, Victor, Alligator, Storyville, Atlantic, Spivey
Associated acts	Bonnie Raitt

Sippie Wallace (born Beulah Belle Thomas, November 1, 1898 – November 1, 1986) was an American blues singer, pianist, and songwriter. She was known for her powerful voice and was sometimes called "The Texas Nightingale."

From 1923 to 1927, she recorded over 40 songs for Okeh Records. Many of these songs were written by her or her talented brothers, George and Hersal Thomas. She even worked with famous musicians like Louis Armstrong, Johnny Dodds, and Sidney Bechet. Sippie Wallace was one of the best female blues singers of her time, alongside stars like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith.

In the 1930s, she took a break from performing blues music. She became a church organist, singer, and choir director in Detroit. She only performed blues music sometimes until the 1960s, when she started performing regularly again. Sippie Wallace was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1982. In 1993, she was honored by being added to the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Musical Roots

Sippie Wallace was born in Jefferson County, Arkansas. She was one of 13 children in her family. Music was a big part of her family's life. Her brother George Washington Thomas became a well-known pianist and composer. Another brother, Hersal Thomas, was also a pianist and composer. Her niece, Hociel Thomas, was also a musician.

When Sippie was a child, her family moved to Houston, Texas. She sang and played the piano at Shiloh Baptist Church. Her father was a deacon there. But at night, she and her siblings would sneak out to watch "tent shows." These were traveling shows with music and performances. By her mid-teens, Sippie was performing in these shows herself. She became a popular blues singer in Texas.

In 1915, Sippie moved to New Orleans with her brother Hersal. Two years later, she married Matt Wallace and started using his last name.

A Career in Blues Music

Performers of the "Blues Is a Woman" concert at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1977. Sippie Wallace is seated on the right.

In 1923, Sippie followed her brothers to Chicago. She quickly became part of the city's busy jazz music scene. Her talent led to a recording contract with Okeh Records that same year. Her first songs, "Shorty George" and "Up the Country Blues," sold very well. This made her a blues star in the early 1920s.

She recorded many more successful songs. These included "Special Delivery Blues" with Louis Armstrong and "Bedroom Blues." Sadly, her brother Hersal Thomas passed away in 1926 when he was only 19 years old.

Sippie moved to Detroit in 1929. Her husband, Matt Wallace, died in 1936. Her brother George Thomas Washington passed away in 1937.

For about 40 years, Sippie Wallace was a singer and organist at the Leland Baptist Church in Detroit. She didn't perform much blues music during this time. However, in 1966, her friend Victoria Spivey convinced her to return to performing. Sippie then started touring at folk and blues festivals.

She recorded an album called Women Be Wise in 1966. She also recorded Sings the Blues that same year. Both albums featured her famous song, "Women Be Wise." These recordings inspired musician Bonnie Raitt to start singing and playing the blues. Bonnie Raitt later recorded her own versions of Sippie's songs. Sippie Wallace toured and recorded with Bonnie Raitt in the 1970s and 1980s. They even performed "Woman Be Wise" on the TV show Late Night with David Letterman in 1982.

Sippie also sang on Louis Armstrong's album Louis Armstrong and the Blues Singers (1966). In 1970, she and Victoria Spivey released an album together. In 1981, Sippie recorded the album Sippie for Atlantic Records. This album was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1983. It also won the W. C. Handy Award for Best Blues Album of the Year in 1982.

Sippie Wallace performed at many major music events. These included the Newport Folk Festival and the Chicago Blues Festival. She also appeared in a 1982 documentary called Jammin' with the Blues Greats. She shared the stage with B.B. King at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in 1982.

In 1983, she recorded an album with German pianist Axel Zwingenberger. The next year, she toured Germany with him. They also recorded a live album there.

Later Years and Legacy

In March 1986, after a concert in Germany, Sippie Wallace became very ill. She returned to the United States and passed away on her 88th birthday, November 1, 1986. She is buried in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan.

Documentary Film

In 1986, a documentary film was released about Sippie Wallace. It was called Sippie Wallace: Blues Singer and Song Writer. The film shows her performing, in interviews, and includes old photographs and recordings.

Albums

See also

In Spanish: Sippie Wallace para niños