Bessie Smith & Dave Edmunds' Birthdays

It was 120 years ago today that jazz legend Bessie Smith was born. She was one of the most influential singers of the Twenties and Thirties. From 1923 to 1929 she had a string of hits, starting with the #1 song "Downhearted Blues". Among the musicians with whom she performed were Louis Armstrong, Charlie Green, and Fletcher Henderson.

Here is her first hit, "Downhearted Blues"




Today is also the 70th birthday of singer and guitarist Dave Edmunds. He played with various bands in the Sixties before launching a successful solo career in 1970 with his cover of Smiley Lewis' "I Hear You Knocking", which went to #1 in the United Kingdom and and #4 in the United States. He would have such hits as "Baby I Love You", "Born to Be With You", "I Knew the Bride", "Teacher, Teacher (with Rockpile--Nick Lowe provided the lead vocal)",  "Girls Talk", and "Singing the Blues".

Here is his song "I Knew the Bride".