Caption
Blues singer "Ma" Rainey, 1994.
Number
2859
Prompt
Rainey, the figure in the stamp image should look left and right quickly as if scanning the audience for her lover. Then she should smile. The feathers on her headdress could gently sway. She could be animated to strike a dramatic pose, with a twinkle in her eye.
Body
Also part of the "Jazz and Blues Singers" set, this stamp honors Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, a foundational figure in American music. She began her career in minstrel shows and vaudeville, where she developed her powerful and expressive singing style. Rainey's recordings for Paramount Records in the 1920s are considered classics of the blues genre. She was a mentor to the young Bessie Smith and a major influence on a generation of blues musicians.