Lyrics | Artists | Bessie Jones

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Bessie Jones

Bessie Mary Elizabeth Jones, known as Bessie Jones, was born on February 8, 1902, in Smithville, Georgia. She grew up in a poor family of African American farmers and learned traditional songs from her grandfather, an ex-slave. Jones began performing with the Spiritual Singers Society of Coastal Georgia after moving to St. Simons Island in 1933. In 1963, she founded the Georgia Sea Island Singers, with whom she toured extensively throughout the 1960s, performing at venues such as Carnegie Hall and Central Park. Jones released her first solo album, So Glad I'm Here, in 1974, follo...