Bessie Smith dress showcased at Smithsonian

Bessie Smith rose up from the depths of poverty, singing on Chattanooga street corners for food, to become known as one of the best blues singers of her time.

"Young people should take heart that she was a Chattanoogan and she got her start early," said former Chattanooga Vice Mayor John P. Franklin. "Perhaps they can be encouraged to get started in their careers early and have some ambition to be successful, too."

The Chattanooga singer is so legendary, the Smithsonian Institution is borrowing her dress from the Bessie Smith Cultural Center and plans to display it in its museums for the next three years.

The dress, a see-through sequined gown made of glass beads and lace, will be on display as part of an exhibit celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Apollo Theatre.

"This is an excellent opportunity for the Bessie Smith Cultural Center to gain national and international exposure," said Rose Martin, the center's executive director.

ABOUT BESSIE SMITH* April 15, 1894: Born in Chattanooga* 1912: Got her first job working with her brother Clarence at a Chattanooga storefront with the Mose Stokes Show* Sept. 26, 1937: Killed in an automobile accident in Mississippi* Oct. 4, 1937: Buried in Sharon Hill, Pa., where she owned a home* 1980: Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame* 1981: Inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame* 1989: Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame* 1989: Received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award* 1994: 29-cent commemorative postage stamp made in her honorSource: News reportsCultural Center's Black History Month* Feb. 2 -- Lunch and Learn: "Eyes on the Prize," the television series about the civil rights movement will be shown every Tuesday and Thursday from noon to 1 p.m.* Feb. 4 -- Kevin O'Keith, the featured artist at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, will give a talk at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.* Soul Cinema -- Scheduled every Friday through February from 7:30 p.m. to midnight. Participants must be age 21 or older. Admission is $10, includes the movie, popcorn and one drink. The following movies will be shown:Feb. 5 --"Cadillac Records"Feb. 12 -- "Dreamgirls"Feb. 19 -- "The Five Heartbeats"Feb. 26: "This Is It"

The late Ms. Smith's dress has hung in the center named for her since 1996. It was loaned for the first time in 2009 for "America I AM: The African-American Imprint," a traveling exhibit sponsored by talk show host Tavis Smiley and Walmart, museum officials said.

"Janis Joplin, Billie Holiday, so many artists cite Bessie Smith for being the reason why they do what they do," said Carmen Davis, the Bessie Smith Cultural Center's education director.

Ms. Smith was known for songs like "Down Hearted Blues," "St. Louis Blues," "Reckless Blues," and "Me and My Gin." She was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in the same year.

Her career ran through the 1920s and '30s. She started singing before there were microphones, and her voice was big compared to others such as Billie Holiday, who became famous in the late 1930s.

"Bluesy music. Some of it's dark. Sad. Some of it's uptempo. Uplifting. Something spiritual," Onyx magazine Editor Charles Payne said about Ms. Smith's music.

Late rock singer Janis Joplin helped pay for a headstone for Ms. Smith's grave, which was unmarked for more than 30 years after her death in 1937. Ms. Joplin paid for the headstone at the grave in Pennsylvaina because she considered Ms. Smith her primary influence, according the Rick and Roll Hall of Fame's Web site.

Ms. Smith's determination to overcome circumstances could inspire others, Mr. Payne said.

"Look what she accomplished," he said. "Look where she came from. It's an encouragement to see how she made it during the trying times where she was involved."

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