Page "Ma Rainey" Paragraph 5

Around this time, Rainey met Bessie Smith, a young blues singer who was also making a name for herself.

A story later developed that Rainey kidnapped Smith, making her join the Rabbit Foot Minstrels, and teaching her to sing the blues.

This was disputed by Smith's sister-in-law Maud Smith.

From the late 1910s, there was an increasing demand for recordings by black musicians.

In 1920, Mamie Smith was the first black woman to record a record.

In 1923, Rainey was discovered by Paramount Records producer J. Mayo Williams.

She signed a recording contract with Paramount, and in December she made her first eight recordings in Chicago.

These included the songs " Bad Luck Blues ", " Bo-Weevil Blues " and " Moonshine Blues ".

She made more than 100 more over the next five years, which brought her fame beyond the South.

Paramount marketed her extensively, calling her " the Mother of the Blues ", " the Songbird of the South ", " the Gold-Neck Woman of the Blues " and " the Paramount Wildcat ".

In 1924 she made some recordings with Louis Armstrong, including " Jelly Bean Blues ", " Countin ' the Blues " and " See, See Rider ".