LUCILLE BOGAN

Instruments: Vocals
Date of Birth: April 1, 1897
Place of Birth: Amory, Mississippi
Home:Birmingham, Alabama
Date of Death: August 10,1948

Born Lucille Anderson, April 1, 1897, in Amory Mississippi, she was raised as Lucille Anderson in Birmingham, Alabama. Bogan was one of the toughest female blues singers of the pre-war era.

She started to record as early as 1923 working with a string of gifted pianists including Cow Cow Davenport, Will Ezell and, particularly, Walter Roland. After 1933 she recorded as Bessie Jackson, producing some of her best work between then and 1935 in the company of Walter Roland.

She became known for her raucous sometimes obscene lyrics frequently associated with the lifestyle of the "street-walker". She was married at least once, to one Nazareth Bogan, and was the mother of two children.

After her own career ended she managed Bogan's Birmingham Busters, a group organized by her son. In later life she moved to the west coast where she died of coronary sclerosis in August 10,1948.

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