7 unsung LGBT figures who were instrumental in Black history

Bessie Smith

The singer helped pioneer the genre of blues music and contributed to the success of American music and African Americans in the performing arts before she passed away on September 26, 1937, at the age of 43. Since her death, Smith has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, winning posthumous awards for her 1923 single “Downhearted Blues,” 1925 single “St. Louis Blues” with Louis Armstrong, and a 1928 single “Empty Bed Blues.” She has also been honoured with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Blues Hall of Fame, and the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame.

Despite her marriage to Jack Gee in 1923 and a later common-law marriage to Richard Morgan that lasted until her death, Bessie was known for her many affairs with both men and women. Reports say her works had explicit lyrical content about her attractions to women.