Biography
This vocalist worked during the 1940s and bears no relation to the Billie Hayes known for portraying children’s characters such as Witchipoo. The two women would have been required to use separate facilities in Jackson, Mississippi, throughout that decade and long afterward, confirming they could never have been the same individual. Their repertoires also differed sharply, although certain thematic coincidences exist—one performer played a role named Weenie while the other recorded lyrics that mention the same item.
Listeners acquainted with classic blues and its suggestive content will recognize the aptness of that observation. Further illustration appears in the titles Hayes cut beginning in spring 1943, among them “Man Shortage Blues” and “I Can’t Get Enough.” Promoters presented her as a successor to Bessie Smith, citing comparable vocal ability, rhythmic drive, and a recurring fondness for imagery centered on hot dogs.
Additional evidence of her engagement with the idiom surfaced in her treatment of “You Ain’t Had No Blues,” a piece first linked to Lil Armstrong. Contemporary audiences, however, regarded such material as dated by the 1940s. Later reissues of her work have drawn attention chiefly to her accompanist, the exceptional pianist Deryck Sampson.
Listeners acquainted with classic blues and its suggestive content will recognize the aptness of that observation. Further illustration appears in the titles Hayes cut beginning in spring 1943, among them “Man Shortage Blues” and “I Can’t Get Enough.” Promoters presented her as a successor to Bessie Smith, citing comparable vocal ability, rhythmic drive, and a recurring fondness for imagery centered on hot dogs.
Additional evidence of her engagement with the idiom surfaced in her treatment of “You Ain’t Had No Blues,” a piece first linked to Lil Armstrong. Contemporary audiences, however, regarded such material as dated by the 1940s. Later reissues of her work have drawn attention chiefly to her accompanist, the exceptional pianist Deryck Sampson.