Columbia 14634-D - 11-20-1931 - Need A Little Sugar In My Bowl (Clarence Williams / D. Small / Tim Brymn)Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 -- September 26, 1937) was an American blues singer.Sometimes referred to as The Empress of the Blues, Smith was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s. She is often regarded as one of the greatest singers of her era and, along with Louis Armstrong, a major influence on subsequent jazz vocalists.