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Mamie Smith was the first black performer to record the blues. Before 1920, it simply had not occurred. And the song, Crazy Blues, became a hit for Mamie after the originally scheduled performer, Sophie Tucker missed the session due to illness. The song sold 10,000 copies its first week and 75,000 within a month, paving the way for black musicians, and the black entertainment industry.

This podcast was originally produced for NPR and the Library of Congress when the song was inducted into the National Recording Registry in 2006.

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