Bertha “Chippie” Hill (March 15, 1905 – May 7, 1950) was a dancer and vaudeville singer. At the age of thirteen she and her family moved to New York City where Hill began to pursue a life in show business. In 1919 she was working as a dancer with Ethel Waters in New York and toured with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels. In the early 1920s she toured the TOBA circuit with her own song and dance act. In the mid-1920s she settled in Chicago and worked at various venues in the city appearing on the same bill with King Oliver’s Jazz Band.
Hill is best remembered today for the ten recordings she made for Okeh in 1925 and 1926 that featured Louis Armstrong on cornet. Hill left show business for a few years when the Depression was in full swing, but by the mid-1930s she was performing again with Jimmie Noone, and Lovie Austin and her Blues Serenaders. After World War II she worked with James P. Johnson, Kid Ory and Art Hodes. She died in 1950 after being injured in a hit and run automobile accident.
| Bertha “Chippie” Hill with Lovie Austin’s Blues Serenaders |
| Bertha “Chippie” Hill with Baby Dodds Stompers |
| Title | Recording Date | Recording Location | Company |
| Christmas Man Blues | 10-16-1928 | Chicago, Illinois | Vocalion 1224 |
| Do Dirty Blues (Richard M. Jones) | 5-14-1927 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8473 |
| Georgia Man Piano accompaniment by Richard M. Jones Trumpet by Louis Armstrong (Richard M. Jones) | 2-23-1926 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8312-B Conqueror 8937 Perfect 19934 |
| Hangman Blues | 11-1-1928 | Chicago, Illinois | Vocalion 1248 |
| Hard Time Blues | 10-16-1928 | Chicago, Illinois | Vocalion 1264 |
| I Ain’t Gonna Do It No More | 3-16-1929 | Chicago, Illinois | Vocalion 1406 |
| Kid Man Blues (Richard M. Jones) | 11-9-1925 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8273 |
| Leavenworth Blues Accompanied by Richard M. Jones Jazz Wizards (Atkins) | 6-14-1926 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8367-B |
| Lonesome, All Alone And Blue (Richard M. Jones) | 2-23-1926 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8339 |
| Lonesome, Weary Blues (Richard M. Jones) | 11-26-1926 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8453 |
| Lovesick Blues (Richard M. Jones / Irving Mills) | 11-26-1926 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8453 |
| Low Land Blues (Richard M. Jones) | 11-9-1925 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8273 |
| Mess, Katie, Mess (Kapp / Eller) | 11-23-1926 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8437 |
| Panama Limited Blues Accompanied by Richard M. Jones Jazz Wizards (Richard M. Jones) | 6-15-1926 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8367-A |
| Pleadin’ For The Blues (Chippie Hill / Richard M. Jones) | 11-23-1926 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8420-B |
| Pratt City Blues (Chippie Hill / Richard M. Jones) | 11-23-1926 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8420-A |
| Pratt City Blues | 3-16-1929 | Chicago, Illinois | Vocalion 1406 |
| Some Cold Rainy Day (Dorsey) | 10-13-1928 | Chicago, Illinois | Vocalion 1264 |
| Sport Model Mama (Victoria Spivey) | 5-14-1927 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8473 |
| Street Walker Blues (Chippie Hill) | 6-15-1926 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8437 |
| Trouble In Mind Piano accompaniment by Richard M. Jones Trumpet by Louis Armstrong (Richard M. Jones) | 2-23-1926 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8312-A Conqueror 8937 Perfect 19934 |
| Trouble In Mind Blues (Richard M. Jones) | 11-1-1928 | Chicago, Illinois | Vocalion 1248 |
| Weary Money Blues | 10-13-1928 | Chicago, Illinois | Vocalion 1224 |
| Artist | Instrument |
| Louis Armstrong | Cornet |
| Shirley Clay | Cornet |
| Georgia Tom Dorsey | Piano |
| Preston Jackson | Trombone |
| Frankie “Half Pint” Jaxon | Speech |
| Cliff Jones | Drums |
| Lonnie Johnson | Guitar |
| Ikey Robinson | Banjo |
| Johnny St. Cyr | Banjo |
| Tampa Red | Guitar |
| Artie Starks | Clarinet, Alto Saxophone |
| Bill Johnson | Bass |
