Biography
There were two blues singers operating during the 20s using the name Bessie Brown and biographical details are slim for both. One, known to have worked as a male impersonator and speculated to have been born around 1895 in Cleveland, Ohio, began her career on record in 1925, billed as ‘The Original’ Bessie Brown - probably indicating a conflict with her namesake who had issued records in the previous year. Just to confuse things further she also used the names Caroline Lee and Sadie Green, the latter also used by popular singer Vaughn De Leath. Brown was married to Clarence Shaw and appears to have retired from showbusiness in the early 30s. Her rival worked on the TOBA circuit with her husband George W. Williams in an act that at one time included a young Fats Waller. Her career on record seems to have been restricted to a brief period on the Columbia label during 1924.
Read the Full Biography of Bessie Brown / Liza Brown
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