Birth Place: Chattanooga, TN, USA
Latest News on Bessie Smith:
The Lowell Chamber Orchestra revealed its eighth season, a free concert series exploring immigration, cultural memory, Black resilience and Pride through music.
American Stage in St. Petersburg will open its 49th season with A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, starring Laura Frye as the rock icon, directed by Céline Rosenthal.
Penguin Rep Theatre in Stony Point, New York completed casting for the world premiere of Michael McKeever's In Plain Sight, directed by Joe Brancato.
With the addition of Michael Notardonato in the role of Gary Campbell, casting is complete for the upcoming world premiere production of Flying Toward the Sun. Learn more here!
Bruce Cockburn will release a covers album tracing the gospel, blues and folk songs that influenced him, with a title drawn from a Simone de Beauvoir novel.
Bruce Cockburn will release an album of songs by other artists that shaped his musical development, spanning gospel, blues, jazz and folk influences from his youth in Ottawa.
Penguin Rep Theatre in Stony Point will present the world premiere of a new musical about asylum seekers, with book by BILL NABEL and music and lyrics by NEIL BERG and Nabel.
Allan Harris brought the spirit of an intimate Harlem house party to Birdland with Harlem After Dark, joined by Maya Azucena, AC Lincoln, and a stellar jazz trio for an evening of blues, swing, tap dance, and irresistible musical chemistry.
Legendary Irish vocalist Mary Coughlan will embark on a 13-date UK headline tour this autumn, beginning at Old Woollen in Leeds. The tour will visit venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The Great American Songbook Foundation announced Scott Bradlee, Adam Kantor, and Miche Braden as guest mentors for the 2026 Songbook Academy, joining previously announced headliners Lea Salonga, Mandy Gonzalez, and Michael Feinstein.
Broadway producer and publicist David Rothenberg will perform his autobiographical one-person show NAMEDROPPING at Castle Gardens in NYC, with proceeds benefiting The Fortune Society.
Gretna Theatre invites audiences to experience the passion, grit, and unforgettable music of one of rock and roll’s most iconic voices with A Night with Janis Joplin, running June 18–21, 2026.
Penguin Rep Theatre will present a 29-hour reading of FLYING TOWARD THE SUN, a new musical about asylum seekers, in New York City. The cast includes Broadway veterans from Come From Away, Lempicka, and Harmony.
Gretna Theatre, in collaboration with Totem Pole Playhouse, will present A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, featuring Francesca Ferrari, a national tour veteran, leading a live-band concert celebrating the rock legend's life and music in Mount Gretna, PA.
MUSE/IQUE will present THE SUN RISES IN HARLEM, celebrating the Harlem Renaissance with Tony winner Kecia Lewis, Sy Smith, and the MUSE/IQUE Orchestra at The Huntington and Skirball Cultural Center.
Penguin Rep Theatre, under the leadership of Joe Brancato, founding Artistic Director, and Andrew M. Horn, Executive Director, announced that casting is complete for the New York premiere of Deborah Brevoort’s My Lord, What a Night, which officially kicks off the company’s 49th season.
Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara is continuing its 47th season A Night With Janis Joplin, created and written by Randy Johnson, and starring Tony nominee Mary Bridget Davies in her portrayal of Janis Joplin. Get a first look at production photos!
Florida Studio Theatre has announced that A Night with Janis Joplin, a concert-style celebration of the legendary singer and the artists who inspired her, has been extended again by audience demand.
Florida Studio Theatre's A Night with Janis Joplin, an electrifying concert-style celebration of the legendary singer and the artists who inspired her, has been extended.
THE MUSIC OF US: FROM THEN TO NOW on 3/13 celebrated America's 250 years in music. The trio of phenomenal guest singers - Max Clayton, Nova Payton and Ephraim Sykes brought down the house at the famed venue. Bravo!
