Hazel Meyers was an American classic female blues and country blues singer. She spent most of her career in black vaudeville and on recordings she was billed as a blues artist. Her more famous numbers included "Heartbreaking Blues" and "Blackville After Dark", both sung in her contralto voice.

Biography

Meyers recorded a total of forty-one sides, most of them between September 1923 and August 1924, released by several record labels, including Ajax, Brunswick (on the Vocalion label) Pathė, Banner, Bell, Emerson, and (for her final couple of releases, in June 1926) Okeh. She had releases on six different labels in 1924. Her accompanists variously included Fletcher Henderson, Porter Grainger, James "Bubber" Miley, Leslie "Hutch" Henderson, Don Redman, and (on one recording) Fats Waller. She was the first female vaudeville artist to record the satirical song "Black Star Line", released in May 1924. The song was recorded by both Meyers and Rosa Henderson within a twenty-four-hour period. There has been speculation that Meyers also recorded under the pseudonyms Mae Harris for Domino and Louella Smith for Oriole.

Hazel Meyers

Meyers performed in vaudeville in the 1920s. She performed in Steppin' High, a variety show staged in Harlem, New York, backed by the orchestra of Fletcher Henderson. It is believed that she regularly appeared in theatrical productions until the early 1930s.

Hazel Meyers

Little is known of her life outside her professional engagements.

Hazel Meyers

Meyers's entire recorded work was issued by Document Records in 1996.

Compilation discography

See also

List of classic female blues singers

References

Year of birth missing

Place of birth unknown

Year of death missing

Place of death unknown

American blues singers

American women singers

Classic female blues singers

Country blues musicians