Entertainment
Meet Mamie Smith, the first African American singer who gained instant fame but died broke
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Mamie Smith, on record as the first Black female singer, released a record titled “Crazy Blues” in 1920, making her the first to record and release a Blues song. This kicked down a previously locked door for Black female artists and their fans that kept them out of mainstream music.
The record became a smash hit in Black communities across the country, revolutionizing the blues genre and opening the doors of popular music to Black female artists.
More importantly, the success of “Crazy Blues” proved to the music industry that Black women could make hit records, and that there was a thriving market for Black, popular music.
Born in Cincinnati in 1891, she began her career in show business as a dancer with the Four Dancing Mitchells. By 1910, Smith was touring the Midwest and East Coast with the Smart Set Company, a Black minstrel troupe. She married singer William “Smitty” Smith in 1912. The couple moved to New York, where she began working as a cabaret dancer, pianist, and singer. Her first major break came in 1918 when she appeared in Perry Bradford’s musical “Made in Harlem.”
Bradford had long dreamed of having Black singers record blues tunes for a mass market, but it was a tough sell for recording studios at the time. Eventually, Otto Heinemann, the president of fledgling OKeh Records, decided to take Bradford up on his idea, but Frederick Hager, the company’s recording manager, wanted Sophie Tucker, a white singer, to record the songs. Because Tucker signed with another label, Bradford convinced Hager to take a chance on Smith.
According to music critic Daphne Brooks, Smith, her fans, and the rallying behind the blues artists that followed her breakout success, helped pave the way for the fan armies that continue to surround Black women artists more than a century later, such as Beyonce’s “BeyHive” or Nicki Minaj’s “Barbz.”
“Mamie Smith almost singlehandedly jump-started the popularity of blues music in American culture,” says music journalist and author, Jas Obrecht, who profiled Smith for Living Blues magazine in 2019. “I would argue everybody who loves music and performs blues music, whether they know it or not, they owe a debt of appreciation to Mamie Smith.”
Smith’s popularity shot through the roof following “Crazy Blues,” which netted her about $100,000 in royalties, a fortune at the time. Her stage appearances, characterized by her signature glam style of shimmering gowns, plumes and diamond tiaras, raked in up to $1,500 a week. She later appeared in films, like the 1929 theatrical short “Jail House Blues” and 1939’s “Paradise in Harlem. But the success didn’t last, reports say.
By the time of her death in 1946, Smith was reportedly penniless, without even a tombstone to mark her grave in Staten Island, New York. But what the singer lacked in material wealth, she made up for in cultural influence, setting the precedent for Black female artists to become pop music divas.
According to Brooks, Smith’s legacy has ironically been overshadowed by the Black female recording artists who came after her, even though it was Smith who kicked off the classic blues women’s era of the 1920s.
Source: face2faceafrica.com
Another Nollywood actor, Chijioke Nwokafor, popularly known as CJay Nwoks is dead.
He died on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at an undisclosed hospital in the Badore area of Lagos State.
The sad news was announced by actress Nkechi Blessing, who recently cast CJay as the lead actor in her new film.
Speaking on why the film will no longer be released, Nkechi, who was seen crying in a video on her Instagram page, said, “it took me a lot to do this video because we won’t be dropping the movie again by 5pm.
Right now, I’m in the hospital in Badore. I just lost CJay. CJay is dead. I don’t even know where to start.”
The cause of his death is still very sketchy as at the time of filing this report.
Veteran Nigerian actor Kanayo O. Kanayo has explained why he agreed to feature in Ghanaian actor and filmmaker Kwadwo Nkansah LilWin’s upcoming movie, A Journey to Africa (Nzulezu).
The respected Nigerian actor said his decision to join the project was influenced by the opportunity to contribute to a production that brings together talents from Ghana and Nigeria.
The movie is being led by LilWin, who has built a career in Ghana’s film industry as an actor, comedian and producer. The project is expected to feature a blend of Ghanaian and Nigerian actors as part of its wider African storytelling focus.
Kanayo O. Kanayo, who has featured in numerous Nigerian films throughout his long career, is regarded as one of Nollywood’s veteran performers. His involvement in the project adds another established name to the cast and highlights the continued collaboration between Ghana’s Kumawood industry and Nigeria’s Nollywood.
Explaining his decision to accept the role, Kanayo indicated that he was interested in the creative direction of the production and the opportunity it presented to work with colleagues from Ghana.
His participation also reflects the long-standing relationship between Ghanaian and Nigerian filmmakers. Actors from both countries have regularly appeared in productions across the two industries, helping create opportunities for cross-border collaborations.
A Journey to Africa (Nzulezu) takes its inspiration from Nzulezu, the well-known stilt settlement in Ghana’s Western Region. The location is recognised for its distinctive setting on water and has become one of Ghana’s notable cultural and tourism attractions.
The choice of Nzulezu as part of the film’s identity adds a Ghanaian cultural element to the production while providing an opportunity to showcase aspects of the country to audiences beyond its borders.
For LilWin, the project represents another major production as he continues to expand his activities beyond acting and comedy into filmmaking and other aspects of the entertainment industry.
Kanayo’s involvement has also generated interest among movie enthusiasts, particularly because of his status as one of Nollywood’s experienced actors.
The collaboration comes at a time when filmmakers across Africa are increasingly exploring partnerships that bring together performers, producers and creative professionals from different countries.
Such collaborations can give productions access to wider audiences while allowing actors and filmmakers to exchange ideas and experiences from their respective industries.
With Kanayo O. Kanayo joining the cast, attention is now focused on the eventual release of A Journey to Africa (Nzulezu) and how the Ghana-Nigeria collaboration will translate onto the screen.
Nigerian rapper and social media personality, Speed Darlington, has warned comedian and content creator, Carter Efe, ahead of their highly anticipated celebrity boxing bout.
The two entertainers are scheduled to face each other on October 1, 2026, at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, as part of the ‘Chaos in the Ring’ series.
Speed Darlington has continued to heighten anticipation for the bout with provocative remarks directed at Carter Efe ahead of their meeting in the ring.
The upcoming fight will be Speed Darlington’s second appearance in the celebrity boxing circuit after he lost to singer Portable in 2025.
Carter Efe, on the other hand, enters the contest after defeating Portable by unanimous decision in May 2026.
All three judges scored Carter Efe’s three-round victory 30-27 in his favour.
The rivalry between Carter Efe and Speed Darlington has also intensified during promotional activities for the fight.
At their official press conference, both entertainers were involved in a heated confrontation and had to be separated by security personnel.
The October 1 bout will mark the first time Speed Darlington and Carter Efe meet inside the boxing ring, after their exchanges have largely played out on social media and during promotional events.
The ‘Chaos in the Ring’ event will also feature other bouts, including the WBO African Light Heavyweight Continental Championship clash between Nigeria’s Godday Appah and Ghana’s Seth ‘Freezy Macbones’ Gyimah.
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