mamie smith and her jazz hounds

Released on this day in 1920 by the label Okeh Records, Smith’s (*1883 – †1946) “Crazy Blues” marks the first commercially successful hit of the blues genre and was the first blues title by a female African-American performer. The B-Side featured “It’s Right Here for You (If You Don’t Get it – ‘Taint No Fault o’ Mine)” and the single’s popularity played a major role in creating a performance space, market and audience for African-American artists to follow.