Alberta Hunter

• Genre: Classic Female Blues

About

Alberta Hunger was a vocalist of Early Blues who got her start singing in Chicago night clubs in 1912. Her singing was often done Cabaret style, be she could also inflect in tones similar to a brass horn. She penned "Down Hearted Blues" in 1921, which became the first hit ever for Bessie Smith. After making various records in the 1920s (with Louis Armstrong standing in on some of the sessions) she seldom recorded again, diverting her energy toward being a nurse. Yet once she turned 82 (in 1977) Hunter began singing jazz in New York's Cookery until 1984. In addition, she wrote the score for Alan Rudolph's 1978 film Remember My Name.

- Eric Shea