Why are Ma Rainey’s recordings so important to the history of music?

Introduction Blues singer Gertrude “Ma” Rainey (née Pridgett) was born on April 26, 1886, in Columbus, Georgia, and died there on December 22, 1939.1 Advertising in the 1920s frequently billed her as “The Mother of the Blues.” And while there may be occasional conflicting information regarding some basic facts concerning her life, there is a general consensus amongst most articles and books that she was a dynamic performer, influential as a songwriter, and a musical innovator. It is the last two of these attributes which will be the subject of this effort. Sadly, in our celebrity and personality obsessed culture, too much attention is often paid to either the behaviours or characters of public figures. This is unfortunate, as it distracts us from what is truly important about artists (in this particular case, the music). However, in order to understand in what ways Rainey was innovative, one does need to delve a little into biographical information. Early Years Rainey was the second of five children and has been occasionally confused with a sister by the name of Malissa. Both her parents came from Alabama, and there is a possibility that one of her grandmothers may have performed on the stage soon after Emancipation. One of Rainey’s first public appearances was at the age of fourteen (around 1900) in the Bunch of Blackberries review. She went on to perform in ten