Miss Frankie was an American

classic female blues Classic female blues was an early form of blues music, popular in the 1920s. An amalgam of traditional folk blues and urban theater music, the style is also known as vaudeville blues. Classic blues were performed by female singers accompanied by ...

singer. She recorded eight sides in 1926 and 1927. Speculation still persists as to the real identity of the recording artist. Nothing is known of her life outside of the recording studio.

Career

The first four songs known to have been recorded, billed as by Miss Frankie, were "I Need a Good Man Bad", "I Can't Be Worried Long", recorded in December 1926; plus "You Can't Guess How Good It Is ('Till You Try It for Yourself)", and "Those Creeping Sneaking Blues", which had been recorded in May that year. It has been suggested that "I Need a Good Man Bad" and "I Can't Be Worried Long", are two tracks that the pianist

Eubie Blake James Hubert "Eubie" Blake (February 7, 1887 – February 12, 1983) was an American pianist and composer of ragtime, jazz, and popular music. In 1921, he and his long-time collaborator Noble Sissle wrote ''Shuffle Along'', one of the first Bro ...

probably played accompaniment on. "I Need a Good Man Bad" b/w "I Can't Be Worried Long" was issued in 1927 on the

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

-based

Grey Gull Records Grey Gull Records was a record company and label founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1919. The company was started by Theodore Lyman Shaw, a member of a wealthy and prominent family from Wellesley, Massachusetts whose ancestors included Civil Wa ...

(7021). It is this output that is referred to in the publication, ''All Music Guide to the Blues: The Definitive Guide to the Blues''. They were all included on the

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

''Female Blues Singers Vol 6 E/F/G 1922 - 1928'', issued by

Document Records Document Records is an independent record label, founded in Austria and now based in Scotland, that specializes in reissuing vintage blues and jazz. The company has been recognised by The Blues Foundation, being honoured with a Keeping the ...

originally in 1997, and later on CD in March 2009 (DOC5510). Three of the tracks (excluding "Those Creeping Sneaking Blues") were also included on the various artists album, ''The Roots of Billie Holiday - Ladies Sing the Blues of The 1920s'' (2008). It is thought, although not proven, that the recordings were probably by Jane Howard. One publication suggested that 'Miss Frankie' was a pseudonym used by Jane Howard on recordings for

Banner A banner can be a flag or another piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or another message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is called a banner of arms. Also, ...

Domino Dominoes is a family of tile-based games played with gaming pieces, commonly known as dominoes. Each domino is a rectangular tile, usually with a line dividing its face into two square ''ends''. Each end is marked with a number of spots (also ca ...

and Regal record labels.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

stated "Jane Howard probably being the same person as Miss Frankie". Another source proffered that the later accompanist to Miss Frankie ane Howardwas Happy Holmes, with Banner issuing three titles and

Victor Records The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American recording company and phonograph manufacturer that operated independently from 1901 until 1929, when it was acquired by the Radio Corporation of America and subsequently operated as a subsidi ...

another two. It is important to note that it was not unusual at that time for songs to appear on more than one record label. She recorded three sides; "Kissin' Mule Blues", "Peepin' Jim Blues" and "Hard Hearted Papa" in New York in September 1927. "Mean Old Bedbug Blues" was recorded in October that year. A single was released of "Peepin' Jim Blues" b/w "When You Get Tired of Your New Sweetie" by Banner Records, with both sides credited to 'Miss Frankie'. "Peepin' Jim Blues" and "Hard Hearted Papa" both appeared on another compilation album ''Female Blues Singers, Vol. 10, H/I/J (1923-1929)'' issued by Document Records (March 1997).

Confusion

There is further uncertainty in that some sources suggest that several of the 'Miss Frankie' recordings were the work of

Lizzie Miles Elizabeth Mary Landreaux (March 31, 1895 – March 17, 1963), known by the stage name Lizzie Miles, was an Afro-Creole of color, Creole blues singer in the United States. Biography Miles was born in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood of New Orle ...

. This particularly applies to the tracks "When You Get Tired of Your New Sweetie", and "Shooting Star Blues", issued on

Conqueror Records Conqueror Records was a United States-based record label, active from 1928 through 1942. The label was sold exclusively through Sears, Roebuck and Company. History Conqueror was originally owned by the Plaza Music Company, then became part of ...

(January 1928).

Discography

*"You Can't Guess How Good It Is ('Till You Try It for Yourself)" (May 1926) *"Those Creeping Sneaking Blues" (May 1926) *"I Need a Good Man Bad" (December 1926) *"I Can't Be Worried Long" (December 1926) *"Peepin' Jim Blues" (September 1927) *"Kissin' Mule Blues" (September 1927) *"Hard Hearted Papa" (September 1927) *"Mean Old Bedbug Blues" (October 1927)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Frankie, Miss Year of birth missing Place of birth missing Year of death missing Place of death missing African-American women singers American blues singers Classic female blues singers

Career

Confusion

Discography

See also

References