Memphis Minnie (born Lizzie Douglas in Algiers, Louisiana, June 3, 1897 – A… Read Full Bio ↴Memphis Minnie (born Lizzie Douglas in Algiers, Louisiana, June 3, 1897 – August 6, 1973) was an American blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter from the late 1920s to the 1950s, one of the most influential country blues musicians to have ever recorded.
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.
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.
I M a Bad Luck Woman
Memphis Minnie Lyrics
Every man I get, he won't get sick - he will die
Doggone woman take from him he's a doggone fly
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman I can't see the reason why
Well the next man I got, you know he worked very hard
Just as soon as I got him he lost his doggone job
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman I can't see the reason why
Well the next man I got he was a railroad man
Just as soon as I got him everything went out his doggone hands
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman I can't see the reason why
Well the next man I got he was long and tall
Everytime I look around he was kickin' at someone other mans jaw
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman I can't see the reason why
(Ok, my boy... play for me!
That's what I am talking about...)
Well the next man I got he was short and fat
I couldn't keep him because he wasn't taught like that
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman I can't see the reason why
Well the next man I got he was a sandhawk in the sea
I had him two days and he got drowned away from me
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman I can't see the reason why
Doggone woman take from him he's a doggone fly
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman I can't see the reason why
Well the next man I got, you know he worked very hard
Just as soon as I got him he lost his doggone job
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman I can't see the reason why
Just as soon as I got him everything went out his doggone hands
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman I can't see the reason why
Well the next man I got he was long and tall
Everytime I look around he was kickin' at someone other mans jaw
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman I can't see the reason why
(Ok, my boy... play for me!
That's what I am talking about...)
Well the next man I got he was short and fat
I couldn't keep him because he wasn't taught like that
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman I can't see the reason why
Well the next man I got he was a sandhawk in the sea
I had him two days and he got drowned away from me
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman
I'm a bad luck woman I can't see the reason why
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: LAWLERS, MINNIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@kirstilynn
Stephanie, I cherish you. You are like this super cute fun ball of energy and I can't quite seem to get enough of your videos. I think this one, so far, is your best incentive video. GOOD LUCK!
@CmauroC123
Nice video presentation Love the blue and the guitar in the background - nice vocals sing it girl : )
@missesrivard
love that rasp girl!!
@MzPenspeaks
@missesrivard Thanks so much! That means a lot to me. I know it's different at times, but I had so much fun with this I didn't want to re-record you know? I know there were some vocal mishaps, but I thought, It was truly felt so I should just leave it! Also, I recently went to see someone sing blues and they were awesome! It wasn't perfect, they just told their stories and I LOVED IT! Thanks so much for the love!
@VadaMarch
Hey Stephanie! This is what I have been waiting for! You put so much more conviction and power into your notes! Okay, now that I know what you're capable of, you haaaave to keep showing it! I know it doesn't suit every single song, but even if you just put a taste of it into each...that'd just add so much to your entries for me! Great job, girl :) --Judge Vada
@honorable31
You go bad luck woman!!!! heheh!!
@JudgeAnnie
Yes maam! Get it girl! You sang the hell outta of it honey. :)
@slpdwp116
Hey Penspeaks, I don't know what the judges look for when you all be singing. I know that this was a really really good performance. I thought your voice was wonderful and you were having a good time with the song. That's whats its all about having fun and enjoying what you are doing. I just loved it. Loved it. Good luck this round!
@ericaroane
Love you Steph... I didn't notice any breath issues I mean we have to breathe to sing its natural... so I guess I am missing something.... hahaha anyway Wonderful Job and I loved how you changed up that last verse in the chorus. Gave it that extra punch!
@MzPenspeaks
@creeingles Thanks so much! I chose to leave the vocal perfections because I had such fun recording it!!!!