Bessie Smith (Queen Latifah) is a young singer from Chattanooga, Tennessee. She and her siblings are orphaned when their parents, William and Laura, die, leaving their oldest sister, Viola (Khandi …

Bessie: Directed by Dee Rees. With Queen Latifah, Kamryn Johnson, Rikki McKinney, Alan T. Coleman. The story of legendary blues performer Bessie Smith, who rose to fame during the 1920s and '30s.

Oct 30, 2025 · Bessie Smith, American singer, one of the greatest blues vocalists. Known as the ‘Empress of the Blues,’ she was a bold, supremely confident artist who sang with breathtaking …

Queen Latifah stars as Bessie Smith in this vivid portrait of the legendary 20th century blues singer.

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May 15, 2015 · Bessie Smith was a vaudeville smash in the 1920s, successful enough to have her own train on which she toured the country, and to inspire Nina Simone and Billie Holliday.

Bessie is a 2015 HBO TV film about the American blues singer Bessie Smith, and focuses on her transformation as a struggling young singer into "The Empress of the Blues".

Apr 15, 2025 · Bessie Smith sang the life she lived. Listen to classic cuts by Bessie Smith and other blues legends on the Blues Origins playlist.

Queen Latifah stars as Bessie Smith in this vivid portrait of the legendary 20th century blues singer.