10 Historical Figures You Might Find At A Gatsby Party
2. Bessie Smith - Blues Singer
Bessie Smith was a blues singer who, along with the likes of Louis Armstrong, is regarded as one of the greatest singers of her day. She was the highest paid black entertainer during the 1920s and was nicknamed the Queen of Blues by Columbia records, a title that was soon upgraded to Empress by the media. Her lyrics suggest that she would have felt right at home at one of Gatsbys parties. In one of her songs she sings about buying bootleg liquor, champagne and wine, all of which flowed freely at Gatsbys.
Were Bessie Smith to have attended one of Gatsbys parties she would have made full use of the drinks on offer. Bessie would then have probably treated the other guests to a song or two, maybe singing a soft blues song from her highly popular discography as the party goers began to stumble home to bed in the small hours.