Rosa Henderson was a prominent jazz and blues singer during the 1920s, known for her rich voice and expressive performances that captured the essence of the Jazz Age. Born Rosa Deschamps in Henderson, Kentucky, on November 24, 1896, she later took on her stage name, which was a nod to her birthplace. She began her career singing in circuses and tent shows before making her way to New York City, where she became an integral part of the Harlem Renaissance music scene.
Throughout the 1920s, Rosa Henderson recorded with various labels, producing a series of tracks that have since become an important part of the classic blues repertoire. Her strong and emotive contralto voice offered a raw and powerful expression of the times, covering themes of love, loss, and the everyday struggles of African-American life. Though her recording career slowed down by the early 1930s due to the Great Depression and changes in public taste, her work has been celebrated and preserved in collections such as "Rosa Henderson 1923-1931" and the Rosa Henderson Volumes, which compile her influential recordings that continue to resonate with blues and jazz aficionados today. Henderson's legacy as a blues pioneer is underscored by her emotional depth and vocal prowess, which have positioned her as an influential figure in the annals of American music history.
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