Gertrude Pridgett began performing as a teenager and became known as "Ma" Rainey after her marriage to Will "Pa" Rainey in 1904. They toured with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels and later formed …

Often called the “Mother of the Blues,” Ma Rainey was known for her deep-throated voice and mesmerizing stage presence that drew packed audiences and sold hit records in the early twentieth …

Feb 13, 2026 · Ma Rainey (born April 26, 1886, Columbus, Georgia, U.S.—died December 22, 1939, Columbus) was an American singer who was known as the “mother of the blues ” and who was …

Apr 2, 2014 · Singer Ma Rainey was the first popular stage entertainer to incorporate authentic blues into her song repertoire and became known as the "Mother of the Blues."

Dec 18, 2020 · Ma Rainey, known as the “Mother of the Blues,” isn’t nearly as famous as the blues artists who built on her foundation, from Bessie Smith to Billie Holiday.

Ma Rainey (1886–1939), known as the "Mother of the Blues,” was one of the earliest known American professional blues singers.

May 9, 2003 · Styled as the “Mother of the Blues,” Gertrude Pridgett Rainey, better known as “Ma” Rainey, was one of the most important of the early blues singers. In her thirty-five years of touring …

Gertrude Pridgett Rainey, better known as Ma Rainey (April 26, 1886 – December 22, 1939), was one of the earliest known professional blues singers and one of the first generation of such singers to record …

Gertrude ‘Ma’ Rainey not only deserved the title she earned as ‘Mother of the Blues’, she also claimed to have named the music the blues. She recalled first hearing it sung by a young girl in Missouri while …

Apr 26, 2025 · Although her recording career lasted just five years, blues singer Ma Rainey created a legacy that reaches far beyond music. But if there’s a simple way to sum up Ma Rainey’s importance,...