"Originally published... in Great Britain by Absolute Press, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, Bath, in 1997, and subsequently published in Great Britian by Faber & Faber Limited, London, in 2021."--Title page verso

'The red graveyard' -- Introduction -- In the house of the blues -- Chattanooga, 1894 -- In the Ma's footsteps -- The trunk and the no-good man -- Wax -- Ruby on the road -- Tales of the Empress -- The blues -- Mississippi, 1937

"Known for her prodigious musical talent, her timeless blues narratives about personal and socioeconomic problems, her tough persona, and her innate ability to enrapture audiences with her raw voice, Bessie Smith--the Empress of the Blues--receives a unique biographical treatment in this special life narrative captured by one of Scotland's finest poets. By masterfully blending research, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and her own experiences in listening to Bessie Smith, Jackie Kay brings Smith to life, chronicling her humble beginnings in Tennessee to her national touring and recording success to her troubled relationships and her tragic end. The result is a lyrical tribute that not only captures Smith's personality but manages to reproduce her voice as her lyrics echo throughout the text. Bessie Smith lives on, and as Kay argues, she is relevant now more than ever"--