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Ma Rainey

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Ma Rainey (April 26, 1886 - December 22, 1939) was an American blues singer, one of the first to record. After marrying William 'Pa' Rainey in 1904, she changed her name to Ma Rainey (from Gertrude Pridgett) and the pair toured as Rainey & Rainey, Assassinators of the Blues.

In 1923, Rainey signed with Paramount Records and began recording, working with Louis Armstrong and Fletcher Henderson, among others. She was extremely popular among southern blacks in the 1920s, but the Great Depression and changing tastes ended her career by 1933, when she retired. In 1939, Rainey died of a heart attack.

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