In the opening minutes of ‘Bessie,’ the HBO biopic about blues legend Bessie Smith premiering Saturday, May 16th, the titular character absorbs the warmth of a single spotlight with an air of faint ...
Music biopics tend to thrive in two areas: reintroducing the world to relevant music and providing meaty roles for actors. The greats — “Sid and Nancy,” “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” “La Vie en Rose,” ...
Figuring out what made Bessie Smith different from every other blues singer doesn’t require a Ph.D. in musicology. “Bessie was just more ballsy,” says Queen Latifah, who plays Smith in the HBO movie ...