Lavinia Turner(c. 1888– after 1937)[5]was an Americanclassic female bluessinger. Originally avaudevillevocalist, Turner recorded 10 songs in 1921 and 1922, making her one of the first female blues singers to be recorded.[6]
Lavinia Turner | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1888 Virginia[1] |
| Died | After 1937 |
| Genres | Classic female blues[2] |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 1921–1922 |
| Labels | Pathé Actuelle,Perfect,[3]Okeh Records[4] |
Details of her life outside the recording studio are minimal.
Biography
editTurner was born inVirginia,to parents from Virginia, around 1888. She was living in New York City, making her living as a performer, by 1920.[7][1][5]
Her first recordings, almost certainly in March 1921,[8]were of "How Many Times?" and "Can't Get Lovin' Blues", with piano accompaniment, possibly byWillie Gant.[9]It is thought thatClarence Williamsplayed the piano on two of her other recordings.[9]Gus Aiken(trumpet) was also credited on recording sessions with Turner in 1921.[10]Turner was thus one of the first black women to sing blues on recordings, which were made in New York City. However, also in 1921, other blues singers, such asLillyn Brown,Lucille Hegamin,andDaisy Martin,all made records.[11]Six of Turner's sides, including "When the Rain Turns into Snow (Who's Gonna Keep You Warm)" and "Who'll Drive Your Blues Away",[12]were with piano accompaniment byJames P. Johnson.They were originally issued on bothPathé Actuelle RecordsandPerfect Records.[13]At least two of her tracks were issued byOkeh Records.[4]
Two of the songs that Turner recorded, "Watch Me Go" and "He Took It Away from Me", were written byRoy TurkandJ. Russel Robinson.[13]
Turner's brief recording career finished in October 1922.[3]In 1930, she was living as a widow in New York,[5]and may be the person of that name who made aSocial Securityapplication in 1937.[14]
Her work has appeared on variouscompilation albums,includingFemale Blues 1921–1928(Document Records, 1997), which includes "When the Rain Turns into Snow (Who's Gonna Keep You Warm)" and "Who'll Drive Your Blues Away".[15]In 1994,Document Recordsissued an anthology incorporating all of her known recorded work, together with the later recordings ofVirginia Liston.[16]
Discography
edit- Virginia Liston, Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order, vol. 2 (1924–1926),withLavinia Turner, Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order (1921–1922),Document Records,2000.[16]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ab1930 United States Federal Census
- ^"Lavinia Turner: Songs".AllMusic.com.Retrieved2017-03-29.
- ^ab"Mamie Smith: The First Lady of the Blues".Jas Obrecht Music Archive.Jasobrecht.com. 2010-06-07. Archived fromthe originalon 2018-08-05.Retrieved2017-03-29.
- ^ab"Lavinia Turner," How Can I Be Your Sweet Mamma When You Are Daddy to Somebody Else "/" Don't Cut Off Your Nose to Spite Your Face "".Discogs.com. 1923-03-03.Retrieved2017-03-29.
- ^abcEagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013).Blues: A Regional Experience.Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. p. 525.ISBN978-0313344237.
- ^"Virginia Liston Vol. 2 (1924–1926),withLavinia Turner (1921–1922)".Itunes.apple.com.2000-09-07.Retrieved2017-03-29.
- ^1920 United States Federal Census
- ^Cohen, Norm (2000).Long Steel Rail: The Railroad in American Folksong.University of Illinois Press. p. 27.ISBN978-0-252-06881-2.
- ^abGibbs, Craig Martin (20 December 2012).Black Recording Artists, 1877–1926: An Annotated Discography.McFarland. p. 79.ISBN978-1-4766-0085-7.
- ^Franklin, Benjamin, V (30 May 2016).An Encyclopedia of South Carolina Jazz and Blues Musicians.Univ of South Carolina Press. p. 43.ISBN978-1-61117-622-3.
{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^"Big Road Blues, Part 127".Sundayblues.org.Retrieved2017-03-29.
- ^"Perfect 12039 78 RPM Record Lavinia Turner Blues".Popsike.com.Retrieved2017-03-29.
- ^ab"Lavinia Turner and James P. Johnson's Harmony Seven".Redhotjazz.com. 1921-02-09.Retrieved2017-03-29.
- ^"Lavinia Turner, U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007. Provo, Utah".Ancestry.com. 2015.Retrieved2017-03-29.
- ^"Document Records Blues and Jazz Artists".Document-records.com.Retrieved2017-03-29.
- ^ab"Virginia Liston: Discography".AllMusic.com. 2000-09-07.Retrieved2013-09-29.