Lizzie Douglas was born on June 3, 1897 in Algiers, Louisiana. She was the eldest from her 13 other siblings. Her parents Abe and Gertrude Douglas nicknamed her the Kid during her early childhood. At the age of 7 she and her family moved to Walls, Mississippi, which was just south of Memphis. The following year after she moved, she received her first guitar for Christmas. She began to practice and learn how to play both the banjo and the guitar and it was seen that she had a great talent as a musician. When she first began performing she did not use her first name Lizzie, but played under the name Kid Douglas. When she was 13 years old she ran away from her home to live on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee. She would play on street corners for most of her teenage years and would eventually go home when she ran out of money. She began to get noticed singing and playing guitar on the street corners. This brought an opportunity for her to tour, travel, and play with the Ringling Brothers Circus. Eventually she came back to Beale Street and got consumed in the blues scene. At the time, women, whiskey, and cocaine were high in demand with the people and places she would be around. She made her money by playing guitar, singing, and prostitution, which was not uncommon at the time. Most of the female performers were prostitutes because of financial desperation. It was said “She received $12 for her services-an outrageous fee for the time.” (Memphis Minnie Biography,1). She was known as a woman that was very strong and that could take care of herself.
She had been married three times in her life; first with Will Weldon sometime in the 1920s, then Joe McCoy (1929–1934), and finally to Earnest Lawlars (a.k.a. Little Son Joe), in 1939. She and McCoy would perform together during their marriage. During this time, a talent scout from Columbia Records discovered her. When she and McCoy went to record in New York, she decided to change her name to Memphis Minnie. During the next few years she and McCoy released many singles and duets. She released the song “Bumble Bee” in 1930, which ended up being one of her favorite songs, and led her to a recording contract with the label Vocalion. Under this label, they continued to produce recording for two years, one of them being “I’m Talking About You”, which was one of her more popular songs. They soon decided to leave Vocalion and move to Chicago. She and McCoy introduced country blues to the urban environment and became very well known.
Memphis Minnie continued to have success throughout the years recording under many different labels like Decca Records and Chess Records. Some believe her fame was the reason for her divorce with McCoy due to jealousy and resentment towards her. She remarried after to Earnest Lawlars (a.k.a. Little Son Joe) and began recording material with him. She became very well known in the blues industry and ended up being one of the most famous blues performers of all time, competing with both men and women.
She continued to record throughout the 50’s, but her health began to become a problem for her. She retired from her musical career and ended up going back to Memphis. “Periodically, she would appear on Memphis radio stations to encourage young blues musicians. As the Garons wrote in Women With Guitar, 'She never laid her guitar down, until she could literally no longer pick it up.'” She suffered a stroke in 1960, which caused her to be bound by wheelchair. The following year her husband, Earnest “Little Son Joe” Lawlars died. She had another stroke a short while after and eventually ended up in the Jell Nursing Home. She could no longer survive on her social security income so magazines wrote about her and readers sent her money for assistance. On August 6, 1973 she died of a stroke. She was buried in an unmarked grave at the New Hope Cemetery in Memphis. A headstone paid for by Bonnie Raitt was erected by the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund on October 13, 1996 with 35 family members in attendance including her sister, numerous nieces (including Laverne Baker) and nephews. Her headstone is marked:
Lizzie "Kid" Douglas Lawlers
aka Memphis Minnie
The inscription on the back of her gravestone reads:
"The hundreds of sides Minnie recorded are the perfect material to teach us about the blues. For the blues are at once general, and particular, speaking for millions, but in a highly singular, individual voice. Listening to Minnie's songs we hear her fantasies, her dreams, her desires, but we will hear them as if they were our own."
After her death some of her old work began to surface and some of her songs were featured on blues compilations. She was one of the first 20 blues artists that were inducted in the Blues Hall of Fame.
Hustlin' Woman Blues
Memphis Minnie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I stood on the corner all night long, counting the stars one by one
I didn't make me no money, Bob, and I can't go back home
I've got a bad man
My man sits in the window with his .45 in his hand
My man sits in the window with his .45 in his hand Every now and then he gets to hollering at me and tells me, "You better not miss that man"
I've got him, baby
My daddy ain't got no shoes, Bob, now it done got cold
My daddy ain't got no shoes, Bob, now it done got cold
I'm gonna grab me somebody if I don't make myself some dough
I'm going to the Quarter Bowl
Bob, can you gamble?
No, it's rough when you can't do nothin'
I just want to know can you shoot dice?
No?
Can't shoot no dice?
I can't gamble myself
Well, I can't do nothin' but I bet a man I can
I'm going to the Quarter Bowl, see what I can Find
I'm going to the Quarter Bowl, see what I can Find
And if I make a hundred dollars, I'm gonna bring my daddy ninety-nine
The lyrics to Memphis Minnie's song Hustlin' Woman Blues tell the story of a woman who is forced to stand on a street corner all night long, trying to make some money. She counts stars in the sky, indicating that she has nothing to do and nowhere to go. She also mentions having a bad man in her life who keeps watch over her with his gun, reminding her to keep working.
The woman's situation is dire, as she mentions her father not having shoes in cold weather and her need to make money to help him. She is willing to take risks, such as going to the Quarter Bowl to gamble in order to make some quick cash. Her desperation is apparent in her willingness to do anything to bring home some money to help her father.
Overall, the lyrics paint a picture of a woman living in poverty, struggling to make ends meet, and willing to do whatever it takes to survive. It is a story of resilience and determination despite the obstacles she faces.
Line by Line Meaning
I stood on the corner all night long, counting the stars one by one
I waited all night, hoping to make some money from passersby, but unfortunately didn't make any. Now, I can't go back home because I have nothing to show for it.
My man sits in the window with his .45 in his hand
My partner is incredibly possessive and controlling. He constantly watches me with a loaded gun, threatening me if I let another man near me.
Every now and then he gets to hollering at me and tells me, "You better not miss that man"
Sometimes, my partner gets angry with me and warns me that I am not allowed to miss any of my 'clients', because missing one means missing out on money.
My daddy ain't got no shoes, Bob, now it done got cold
My father is poor and lacks basic necessities like shoes, particularly in the cold. I'm feeling the pressure to help him and if I can't make any money, I'll have to resort to potentially dangerous measures.
I just want to know can you shoot dice?
I'm desperate for a way to make money and I'm willing to try anything. I ask Bob if he's good at gambling because I'm hoping to partner with someone who has better odds of winning.
I'm going to the Quarter Bowl, see what I can find
I'm planning on heading to the Quarter Bowl, a notorious gambling spot, to try my luck and make some money any way that I can.
And if I make a hundred dollars, I'm gonna bring my daddy ninety-nine
If I end up making a lot of money, my top priority is to help my father in any way I can, even if it means keeping only a small percentage for myself.
Contributed by Sebastian G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.