Dozens of blues musicians, some as famous as Bessie Smith, were buried in unmarked graves.
Julien had trouble competing in the flamboyance category with his occasional air show mate, Bessie Coleman.
I needed to understand more about his mother, Bessie Gilmore.
Bessie Smith once sang of wanting a pig foot and a bottle of beer and to be left alone because she was “in my sin.”
Then Mamie let Maggie squeeze; but she pinched harder than Bessie had done, and hurt it a little.
Bessie Manners's mother undertook to send a supply of ices, and a generous store of sweets and flowers seemed forthcoming.
"But it's too late to be sorry now," said Bessie, gravely shaking her head.
“You have no right to be ignorant at all events,” Bessie argued with all her freedom.
Mr. Beeton discussed this new departure with his wife, who decided that Bessie was at the bottom of it all.
