In 1915 she moved to New Orleans and lived with her older brother George and got married to Matt Wallace in 1917. During her stay there she met many of the great Jazz musicians like King Oliver and Louis Armstrong who were friends of her brother George.
During the early 1920s she toured the TOBA vaudeville circuit where she was billed as “The Texas Nightingale”. In 1923 she followed her brothers to Chicago and began performing in the cafes and cabarets around town. In 1923 she recorded her first records for Okeh and went on to record over forty songs for them between 1923 and 1929.
Her brother Hersal died of food poisoning in 1926 at age sixteen. Wallace was unique among the Classic Blues singers in that she wrote a great deal of her own material, often with her brothers supplying the music. The sidemen who played on her recording sessions were always excellent and included the cream of New Orleans Jazz musicians, like King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Clarence Williams, Sidney Bechet and Johnny Dodds among others.
Sippie moved to Detroit in 1929 and left show business in the early 1930s as the Blues craze ran its course. In 1935 and 1936 her aunt Lillie, her husband Matt and her brother George (who was hit by a streetcar) all died . She found solace in religion and during the next forty years she was a singer and organ player at the Leland Baptist Church in Detroit.
She occasionally performed over the years, but did little in the Blues until she launched a comeback in 1966 after her longtime friend and fellow Texan, Victoria Spivey called “Sippie Wallace and Victoria Spivey” (see: Lovie Austin: The Hidden Blues Queen Who Inspired Swing Kingmakers). Wallace’s next album was called “Sippie Wallace Sings the Blues” for the Storyville label in 1966.
Wallace suffered a stroke in 1970 but managed to keep recording and performing. With the help of Bonnie Raitt she landed a recording deal with Atlantic Records and recorded the album, “Sippie”, which featured Raitt, was nominated for a Grammy in 1983 and won a W.C. Handy Award for best blues album in 1984. Sippie Wallace was the aunt of Hociel Thomas and Hersal Thomas.
| Sippie Wallace with Albert Ammons and his Rhythm Kings |
| Title | Recording Date | Recording Location | Company |
| Advice Blues | 8-20-1925 | New York, New York | Okeh 8276 |
| A Jealous Woman Like Me (Hersal Thomas) | 3-1-1926 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8301 |
| A Man For Every Day Of The Week (Hersal Thomas) | 3-3-1926 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8301 |
| Baby I Can’t Use You No More (Matt Mathews / Sippie Wallace) | 11-28-1924 | New York, New York | Okeh 8212-A |
| Bedroom Blues (Sippie Wallace / Tim Brymn) | 11-20-1926 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8439-B |
| Being Down Don’t Worry Me | 8-20-1925 | New York, New York | Okeh 8276 |
| Caldonia Blues (Sippie Wallace / George W. Thomas) | 5-26-1924 | New York, New York | Okeh 8144-B |
| Can Anybody Take Sweet Mama’s Place (Sippie Wallace / Clarence Williams) | 5-29-1924 | New York, New York | Okeh 8159-A |
| Dead Drunk Blues (Hersal Thomas) | 5-6-1927 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8499 |
| Devil Dance Blues (Sippie Wallace) | 2-24-1925 | New York, New York | Okeh 8206 |
| Every Dog Has His Day (Sippie Wallace) | 2-24-1925 | New York, New York | Okeh 8205-B |
| Good Bye Blues Piano accompaniment by by Eddie Heywood | 1924 | New York, New York | Okeh 8117-A |
| Have You Ever Been Down? (Hersal Thomas) | 5-6-1927 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8499 |
| He’s The Cause Of Me Being Blue (Sippie Wallace / Clarence Williams) | 12-3-1924 | New York, New York | Okeh 8190-A |
| I Feel Good (Hersal Thomas) | 3-3-1926 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8345 |
| I’m A Mighty Tight Woman (Sippie Wallace) | 11-20-1926 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8439-A |
| I’m A Mighty Tight Woman (Sippie Wallace) | 2-7-1929 | Chicago, Illinois | Victor 38502 |
| I Am Leaving You (Eddie Green) | 8-25-1925 | New York, New York | Okeh 8288-A |
| I Must Have It (George Thomas) | 8-25-1925 | New York, New York | Okeh 8381-A |
| I’m So Glad I’m Brownskin (Clarence Williams) | 12-2-1924 | New York, New York | Okeh 8197-B |
| I’m Sorry For It Now (Eddie Green) | 8-25-1925 | New York, New York | Okeh 8251-B |
| I’ve Stopped My Man (George W. Thomas) | 12-1-1924 | New York, New York | Okeh 8288-B |
| Jack Of Diamonds Blues Piano by Hersal Thomas And Trumpet by Louis Armstrong (Sippie Wallace / Hockway) | 3-1-1926 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8328-B |
| Lazy Man Blues (Sippie Wallace / Porter Grainger) | 5-6-1927 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8470 |
| Leavin’ Me Daddy Is Hard To Do (Vera Hinton / George Thomas) | 5-26-1924 | New York, New York | Okeh 8168-A |
| Let My Man Alone Blues (Harry Stanton) | 12-3-1924 | New York, New York | Okeh 8190-B |
| Mama’s Gone, Goodbye (Peter Bocage / A.J. Piron) | 5-26-1924 | New York, New York | Okeh 8168-B |
| Morning Dove Blues (George W. Thomas) | 2-24-1925 | New York, New York | Okeh 8205-A |
| Murder’s Gonna Be My Crime (Matt Wallace) | 8-22-1925 | New York, New York | Okeh 8243-B |
| Off And On Blues (Clarence Williams) | 12-2-1924 | New York, New York | Okeh 8197-A |
| Parlor Social De Luxe Accompanied by Perry Bradfords Jazz Phools (Perry Bradford) | 8-19-1925 | New York, New York | Okeh 8232-B |
| Section Hand Blues Accompanied by Perry Bradfords Jazz Phools (Sidney Easton) | 8-19-1925 | New York, New York | Okeh 8232-A |
| Shorty George Blues Piano Accompaniment by Eddie Heyward (Hersal Thomas / George W. Thomas) | 10-26-1924 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8106-A |
| Special Delivery Blues Piano by Hersal Thomas And Trumpet by Louis Armstrong (Sippie Wallace) | 3-1-1926 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8328-A |
| Stranger’s Blues Piano Accomiment by Clarence Williams (Sippie Wallace / Clarence Williams) | 5-29-1924 | New York, New York | Okeh 8159-B |
| Sud Bustin’ Blues (A.J. Piron / Peter Bocage / Steve Lewis) | 6-6-1924 | New York, New York | Okeh 8177-B |
| Suitcase Blues (George W. Thomas) | 8-25-1925 | New York, New York | Okeh 8243-A |
| The Flood Blues (Sippie Wallace / Porter Grainger) | 5-6-1927 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8470 |
| The Mail Train Blues (Blair / Lethwick) | 3-3-1926 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8345 |
| The Man I Love (Sippie Wallace) | 8-22-1925 | New York, New York | Okeh 8251 |
| Trouble Everywhere I Roam (Hersal Thomas / Sippie Wallace) | 11-28-1924 | New York, New York | Okeh 8212-B |
| Underworld Blues Piano Accompaniment by Clarence Williams (Sippie Wallace / George W. Thomas) | 5-26-1924 | New York, New York | Okeh 8144-A |
| Up The Country Blues Piano Accompaniment by Eddie Heyward (Sippie Wallace / George W. Thomas) | 10-26-1924 | Chicago, Illinois | Okeh 8106-B |
| Walkin’ Talkin’ Blues (John Perry) | 12-1-1924 | New York, New York | Okeh 8206-A |
| Wicked Monday Morning Blues (Spencer Williams) | 6-6-1924 | New York, New York | Okeh 8177-A |
| You Gonna Need My Help | 2-6-1929 | Chicago, Illinois | Victor 38502 |
| Artist | Instrument |
| Louis Armstrong | Cornet, Train Whistle, Speech |
| Buster Bailey | Clarinet |
| Sidney Bechet | Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet |
| Perry Bradford | Piano |
| Buddy Christian | Banjo |
| Johnny Dodds | Clarinet |
| Natty Dominique | Trumpet |
| Honore Dutrey | Trombone |
| Ernest Elliot | Clarinet |
| Hense Grundy | Trombone |
| Eddie Heywood | Piano |
| Charlie Irvis | Trombone |
| Rudolph Jackson | Alto Saxophone |
| Tom Morris | Cornet |
| King Oliver | Cornet |
| Bud Scott | Guitar |
| Cal Smith | Guitar |
| Artie Starks | Clarinet |
| Hersal Thomas | Piano |
| Aaron Thompson | Trombone |
| Clarence Williams | Piano |
