Alberta Hunter

Alberta Hunter (April 1, 1895 – October 17, 1984) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and nurse. Her career had started back in the early 1920s, and from there on, she became a successful jazz and blues recording artist, being critically acclaimed to the ranks of Ethel Waters and Bessie Smith. In the 1950s, she retired from performing and entered the medical field, only to successfully resume her singing career in her eighties.

1910s – 1940s

Born in Memphis, she left home while still in her early teens and settled in Chicago, Illinois.Barlow, William. "Looking Up At Down": The Emergence of Blues Culture. Temple University Press (1989), pp. 134-35. ISBN 0-87722-583-4.

She first toured Europe in 1917, performing in Paris and London. The Europeans treated her as an artist, showing her respect and even reverence, which made a great impression on her.

Her career as singer and songwriter flourished in the 1920s...
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