MA RAINEY - Mother of the Blues

MARCH IS WOMEN'S MONTH

Gertrude Pridgett – Ma Rainey or Madame Gertrude Rainey
1886 – 1939

Genre: BLUES
Known as: Mother of the Blues
1983 - She was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame.
1990 – She was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Was a recording artist under the label of Paramount. She was billed as:
• “Mother of the Blues"
• "the Songbird of the South"
• "the Gold-Neck Woman of the Blues"
• "the Paramount Wildcat"

Some of her notable songs are: "Bad Luck Blues", "Bo-Weevil Blues" and "Moonshine Blues".

Ma Rainey, blues vocalist, was married to singer, dancer, comedian, William “Pa” Rainey. They were traveling artists.

She started singing and traveling at the age of 12-14 years.
In 1924 she made some recordings with Louis Armstrong, including "Jelly Bean Blues", "Countin' the Blues" and "See, See Rider".

In 1924 she embarked on a tour throughout the North/Midwest and South, singing both for black and white audiences. She was accompanied by bandleader and pianist Thomas Andrew Dorsey, and the band he assembled called the Wildcats Jazz Band which included Saxophonist, Eddie Pollack, with Gabriel Washington, Albert Wynn and David Nelson.



Ma Rainey's Black Bottom at The Milwaukee Rep - March 1-March 27, 2011

Greta Oglesby - MA Rainey

Milwaukee, WI - Ma Rainey is a play by Pulitzer Prize Playwright, August Wilson, was about issues of black exploitation of recording artists by Caucasian producers.

Setting: Chicago, Il - 20th Century

The cast of actors at The Milwaukee Rep Theater have been OUTSTANDING.
They are each a compliment to the other. Anthony Fleming III, Levee, was most searing with his gut-wrenching performance. And, Greta Oglesby, Ma Rainey, was "at home" with her role - singing and acting.

Supporting Actors
- Erynn Mackenzie, Dussie Mae/Movement Coordinator was perfect for her role as the sex pot and object of affection.

- Jonathan Butler-Duplessis - Sylvester, Jonathan Gillard Daley - Irvin, William McNulty - Sturdyvant provided leading and fill-in roles at the same time that were meaningful and added to the full value of the cast.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom 27-day run will end on Sunday, March 27,2011 with:

Matinee - 2:00pm
Evening - 7:00pm