Black Queer Mixtape

 Diane Diel

Dr. Harris

ENGL 2016

11/27/2023

Mixtape

For this project, I wanted to focus on the blues scene during the 20th century, and the space it provided for the black queer community. Blues was used to tell stories of hard times and document the experiences of the blues singers. This was a perfect medium for black queer artists during a time of great discrimination and hatred. In this project, I have compiled a list of different blues songs and artists that shed light on the queer scene that the blues genre hosted. 

The Drag and Trans Scene

• “My Daddy Rocks Me (With One Steady Roll)” - Frankie “half-pint” Jaxon (1929)

• ”Boogie’n My Woogie” Gladys Bentley (1925)

• "Any Other Way" (1967) Jackie Shane

The blues scene gave space to many successful crossdressing and trans performers during a time when this was largely unacceptable. Gladys Bentley is the most well-known in this list and also the most controversial in her time as she was known for her crossdressing and stereotypically masculine behavior. She also sang very explicit songs and often would take other blues songs and change their lyrics into more explicit ones. A lot of famous crossdressing blues artists were known for their more explicit lyrics and provocative behavior, such as Frankie “Half-Point” Jaxon who performed the incredibly suggestive song, “My Daddy Rocks Me (With One Steady Roll)” while dressed as a woman and singing in a pitched voice. There are also many trans blues artists, but they became more open later in the 20th century, such as Jackie Shane, a transgender woman who became famous in the 1960s.

The Lesbian Scene

• "Prove It On Me Blues"  Ma Rainey (1928) 

• “Tain't Nobody's Biz-Ness If I Do” Bessie Smith (1922)

• “B.D. Woman Blues” Lucille Bogan (1935)

• “Women Don't Need No Men” Lucille Bogan (1927)

• “Someone Will Take Your Place” Alberta Hunter (1923)

• “Two Old Maids in a Folding Bed” Monette Moore’s (1932)

The queer blues scene was dominated by women who loved other women. Most of these artists were unapologetically and publicly attracted to other women and wrote about it in their songs. Ma Rainey is the most notable. Known as the “Mother of the Blues,” Ma Rainey was an incredibly successful blues artist. She was married to a man but was very openly attracted to women. A very popular song of hers, "Prove It On Me Blues" included lyrics that said  “Went out last night with a crowd of my friends. They must’ve been women, cause I don’t like no men.” Every other artist on this list also were openly attracted to women and wrote either blatant or suggestive lyrics about their attraction to them. Lesbian artists seemed to thrive the most in the blues genre, and they were mostly well-received.

The Gay Scene

• “I'm Gonna Dance Wit De Guy Wot Brung Me” Frankie Jackson (1927)

• “Freakish Man Blues” George Hannah with Meade Lux Lewis (1930)

• “Sissy Man Blues” Kokomo Arnold (1935)

• “Dirty Dozens” Speckled Red Perryman (1929)

Just like the lesbian scene, blues saw its fair share of openly gay artists as well. A lot of these artists, although openly gay still wrote lyrics that were only slightly suggestive of their attraction to men. Unlike the more open lesbian artists, a lot of the gay artists worked in the subtext of their lyrics. 

Although the blues scene had its fair share of homophobia in the 20th century, the tolerance it provided for queer people was far beyond its time. It provided space for black queer people to express their experiences and tell their own stories. Studying the history of black queer spaces and how they thrived during times of hatred and discrimination can bring better understanding and different experiences into the field of black studies.