The Devil’s Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith

She drank too much, loved too much, and put all her pain and joys into her heart-wrenching, soul-searching music. Bessie Smith made more than a dozen songs famous in the 1920s, when she rebelled against what was considered acceptable music.

The Devil’s Music goes back to the fall of 1937, to a rowdy, blacks-only joint where Bessie and her band sing and carouse for the late-night crowd. On what will be the final show of her life, Bessie delves into her past, unearthing stories from a life of exuberance and excess.

A bold and brassy, sweet and sassy look at the blues diva who broke all the rules – this is the Bessie Smith story.