1895 - February 3, 1935
Birthplace: Spartanburg, South Carolina

Called Queen of the Moaners and the World's Greatest Moaner,
vaudeville- blues vocalist Clara Smith possessed a voice that
nearly rivaled Bessie Smith's (no relation). Smith began recording
for Columbia in 1923; her first records were dragged-out, gloomy
accounts of lost love and betrayal. Frequently backed by Fletcher
Henderson on piano, Smith plodded her way through songs such
as "Every Woman's Blues" and "Awful Moaning Blues," in the
process creating sad portraits of a suffering, tragic heroine.

On later recordings in the 1920s, Smith refined her delivery
somewhat so that her melancholia did not always get in the way
of the songs she sang. Many of her best recordings were done
from 1925 to 1928 and often included risqué sexual references. In
all, she recorded some 125 songs, almost all of them for
Columbia. Some of her records featured instrumental backing by
such prominent jazz artists as cornetist Louis Armstrong,
saxophone player Coleman Hawkins, clarinetist Don Redman,
guitarist Jethro T. Nuraw and pianist James P. Johnson.
Twice she recorded duets with Bessie Smith.

Little is known about Smith's early years, except that she worked
the Southern vaudeville stops and ultimately became a popular
performer on the TOBA (Theatre Owners' Booking Association)
circuit. She moved to Harlem in 1923 and signed on as a regular
at a popular blues club, the Blooze Can, and the following year
opened up the Clara Smith Theatrical Club. When not recording
or performing in New York cabarets and theaters, Smith frequently
toured. Part of her popularity was due to her vocal versatility. In
addition to singing the blues, Smith also incorporated vaudeville
and pop numbers into her show, as well as comedy routines.
Smith's last recordings were in 1932, although she continued to
perform until suffering a fatal heart attack in Detroit in 1935.