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.
Outdoor Blues
Memphis Minnie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One cold night, I was out in the frost and snow
I didn't have a penny, I couldn't find no place to go
Way, down the lane, I thought I see'd a fire
Way, down the lane, I thought I see'd a fire
'Fore I could make it there to warm my hands, the hobos had put it out
I was so cold my feets was near about froze
And I didn't have a penny, I couldn't find no place to go
I come to a house, I knocked up on the door
I come to a house, I knocked up on the door
They wouldn't accept my company because I didn't have on no clothes
Hmmm, my feets was near about froze
Hmmm, my feets was near about froze
I didn't have a penny, I couldn't find no place to go
I looked and saw old lady standing in the door
I looked and saw old lady standing in the door
She said, "Come in, daughter, how in the world that you trying to go?"
The lyrics of Memphis Minnie's song "Outdoor Blues" tell a story of a person who is stranded out in the frost and snow with no money and nowhere to go. The subject is struggling to survive in these harsh conditions, and they recount various attempts to find warmth and shelter. The first attempt is to follow the light of a fire they see down the lane. However, when they approach the fire, they find out that hobos have put it out. The second attempt is to knock on the door of a house to seek shelter, but they are rejected due to their lack of proper clothing. Finally, they come across an old lady who offers them refuge and compassion.
This song highlights the struggles faced by people who are homeless and without resources in harsh weather conditions. The lyrics evoke a sense of despair and hopelessness, as the subject is continuously turned away and left to fend for themselves. However, the kindness of the old lady at the end of the song provides a glimmer of hope, showcasing the importance of empathy and compassion towards those in need.
Line by Line Meaning
One cold night, I was out in the frost and snow
In the midst of cold and snow, one lonely night, I found myself wandering, searching for a break from the chill.
I didn't have a penny, I couldn't find no place to go
Lacking any currency, and with no available shelter, I was left truly stranded in the icy weather.
Way, down the lane, I thought I see'd a fire
In the distance, I caught a glimpse of light, and thought to have seen the warm and welcoming glow of a fire.
'Fore I could make it there to warm my hands, the hobos had put it out
Before I could make it to the light for warmth, I found that unfortunate vagrants had already extinguished any heat displayed.
I was so cold my feets was near about froze
The cold was so biting that my feet felt frozen, numb and weak from the icy terrain.
I come to a house, I knocked up on the door
Eventually, I stumbled upon an old residence, and felt the need to solicit aid by knocking upon its door.
They wouldn't accept my company because I didn't have on no clothes
Despite my desperate pleas for help, I was shunned away, as without appropriate garments, I was deemed unworthy of refuge from the elements.
I looked and saw old lady standing in the door
As I pondered on my misfortune, I discovered an elderly woman standing at the entryway.
She said, "Come in, daughter, how in the world that you trying to go?"
Rather than turning me away like the others, the gracious lady invited me inside, and took an interest in my well-being, asking about my story, and where I was headed.
Hmmm, my feets was near about froze
Even with the gracious invite, the chill in my feet persisted, and continued to cause me great discomfort, as my extremities were still greatly susceptible to the cold that night.
I didn't have a penny, I couldn't find no place to go
For all my struggles and efforts to find shelter, the reality remained that without any money, and with limited resources, I had nowhere to turn.
Contributed by Natalie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.