Bessie is a 2015 HBO TV film about the American blues singer Bessie Smith, and focuses on her transformation as a struggling young singer into "The Empress of the Blues".

Bessie: Directed by Dee Rees. With Queen Latifah, Kamryn Johnson, Rikki McKinney, Alan T. Coleman. The story of legendary blues performer Bessie Smith, who rose to fame during the …

May 9, 2025 · Bessie Smith, American singer, one of the greatest blues vocalists. Known as the ‘Empress of the Blues,’ she was a bold, supremely confident artist who sang with breathtaking …

Bessie Smith (April 15, 1892 – September 26, 1937) was an African-American blues singer widely renowned during the Jazz Age. Nicknamed the "Empress of the Blues" and formerly Queen of …

Bessie is a feminine given name, often a diminutive form (hypocorism) of Elizabeth, Beatrice and other names since the 16th century. It is sometimes a name in its own right.

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May 15, 2015 · Bessie Smith was a vaudeville smash in the 1920s, successful enough to have her own train on which she toured the country, and to inspire Nina Simone and Billie Holliday.

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Queen Latifah stars as Bessie Smith in this vivid portrait of the legendary 20th century blues singer.

May 18, 2015 · We pit the HBO Bessie movie vs. the true story of Bessie Smith. See photos of the real Bessie Smith, Jack Gee, Ma Rainey and Richard Morgan.