Ella Pridgett News Today

Who Is Ma Rainey? How the Mother of the Blues Became an Icon Author: Latifah Muhammad‍ Updated: 9:00 AM MST December 18, 2020 Ma Rainey’s title as the “mother of the blues” is an ode to her unremitted genius in transforming the genre despite a relatively short recording career. Now streaming on Netflix,  Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, starring Viola Davis as the brazen blues legend and Chadwick Boseman in his final film role, has brought new attention t...

By Latifah Muhammad‍ Donaldson Collection/Getty Images Ma Rainey’s title as the “mother of the blues” is an ode to her unremitted genius in transforming the genre despite a relatively short recording career. Now streaming on Netflix,  Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, starring Viola Davis as the brazen blues legend and Chadwick Boseman in his final film role, has brought new attention to Rainey’s mystifying story.  Adapted from August Wilson’s...