Alberta Hunter 1895 -1984
一位出色的 "Blues 藍調怨曲" 歌手, 詞曲作家, 又是一位醫護人員。她的歌唱事業始於二十年代初期, 及後更成為一個出色 "Jazz 爵士樂" 和 "Blues 藍調怨曲" 的歌手藝人, 她被受好評, 與當年的 Ethel Water, Bessie Smith 齊名。至五十年代初, 從歌唱表演行列退下, 進入醫療服務的職業, 之後到八十年代, 又成功返回她的歌唱事業。
出 生 卑 微 - 1895年, 出生於 "Memphis 曼菲斯" 一個貧困的家庭, 她還是個小女孩時, 父親離家不顧, 母親衹好在曼菲斯一間妓院當女僕。雖然母親在1906年再次結婚, 而面對一個新來的父親, 她甚感不快。幾個月後, 祇有十一歲的她, 决意離家前往 "Chicago 芝加哥", 在當地的第一份工作是馬鈴薯去皮的工人, 雖然工資低微, 但仍祈望能成為職業歌手。往後幾年, 晚上四出到一些歌廳場所, 不恥下問, 但求一職, 立志要一展歌喉的工作。
她的堅持得到了回報, 由市內一些低下層的歌舞場所開始, 幾年間, 給她攀至最負盛名的黑人演藝舞臺 "Dreamland Ballroom", 自1917年開始, 待在那裏五年, 薪金漲至三十五美元一個星期。她第一次歐洲巡廻演唱於1917年, 即受聘於 "Dreamland Ballroom" 開始, 演出於巴黎和倫敦。而當地的歐洲人, 對一個演藝人的尊重與仰慕, 給她留下很深刻的印象。
演 藝 事 業 - 她的歌手與詞曲作家的事業, 最高峰的時期是二十至三十年代, 她頻頻出现於紐約和倫敦的音樂舞臺, 唱片合約從未間斷, 她撰寫的歌曲作品, 有1922年極受好評的 "Downhearted Blues"; 此曲是給 Paramount 派拉蒙唱片公司錄製的, 公司衹給回她三百六十八元的版權費, 及後再以高價把此曲賣給 Columbia 哥倫比亞唱片公司。1923年, 由 Bessie Smith 翻唱成了大熱歌曲, 令使 Bessie 與此曲同時名聲名大噪。Alberta Hunter 知悉此事之後, 放棄再為 Paramount 公司的唱片錄音。
DOWNHEARTED BLUES - Alberta Hunter
Lyric: Alberta Hunter and Lovie Austin - 1922
My man mistreated and he drove me from his door
Lord, he mistreated me and he drove me from his door
But the Good Book says you've got
To reap just what you sow
I got the world in a jug, got the supper?
Right here in my hand
I got the world in a jug, got the supper?
Right here in my hand
And if you want me, sweet papa
You gotta come under my command
Say, I ain't never loved but three men in my life
Lord, I ain't never loved but three men in my life
'twas my father and my brother
And a man that wretched my life
Lord, it may be a week and it may be a month or two
I said, it may be a week and it may be a month or two
All the dirt you're doin' to me
Sho' comin' home to you
Lord, I walked the floor, hang my head and cried
Lord, I walked the floor, hang my head and cried
Had the down hearted blues
And I couldn't be satisfied
Lord, he mistreated me and he drove me from his door
But the Good Book says you've got
To reap just what you sow
I got the world in a jug, got the supper?
Right here in my hand
I got the world in a jug, got the supper?
Right here in my hand
And if you want me, sweet papa
You gotta come under my command
Say, I ain't never loved but three men in my life
Lord, I ain't never loved but three men in my life
'twas my father and my brother
And a man that wretched my life
Lord, it may be a week and it may be a month or two
I said, it may be a week and it may be a month or two
All the dirt you're doin' to me
Sho' comin' home to you
Lord, I walked the floor, hang my head and cried
Lord, I walked the floor, hang my head and cried
Had the down hearted blues
And I couldn't be satisfied