![Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey Forged a Powerful Friendship That Helped Bring Blues to the Mainstream - Biography Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey Forged a Powerful Friendship That Helped Bring Blues to the Mainstream - Biography](https://www.biography.com/.image/t_share/MTMwMTc3MzA1Njk4OTQ1MDM0/ma_rainey_bessie_smith_wikimedia_commonsjpg.jpg)
Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey Forged a Powerful Friendship That Helped Bring Blues to the Mainstream - Biography
![NPG x158613; Bessie Smith (née Stanley), Lady Prescott; Bernice Louise Gray (née Prescott); Grace Geraldine Prescott - Portrait - National Portrait Gallery NPG x158613; Bessie Smith (née Stanley), Lady Prescott; Bernice Louise Gray (née Prescott); Grace Geraldine Prescott - Portrait - National Portrait Gallery](https://collectionimages.npg.org.uk/large/mw225895/Bessie-Smith-ne-Stanley-Lady-Prescott-Bernice-Louise-Gray-ne-Prescott-Grace-Geraldine-Prescott.jpg)
NPG x158613; Bessie Smith (née Stanley), Lady Prescott; Bernice Louise Gray (née Prescott); Grace Geraldine Prescott - Portrait - National Portrait Gallery
![Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey Forged a Powerful Friendship That Helped Bring Blues to the Mainstream - Biography Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey Forged a Powerful Friendship That Helped Bring Blues to the Mainstream - Biography](https://www.biography.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTE4MDAzNDA5OTc3MTgxNzEw/bessie-smith-9486520-1-raw.jpg)