BESSIE SMITH & RICHARD MORGAN
因為 "Blues 藍調怨曲" 潮流漸退, Bessie Smith 要面對當前 "Swing 搖擺音樂" 的趨勢, 她正嘗試復出的時候, 1937年九月二十六日, 與男友 Richard Morgan 一起, 沿田納西州的61號公路駕駛途中遇上車禍, 她不幸傷重, Richard 則逃過大難。
延 誤 失 救 - 第一批到意外现場参予搶救的人, 是一個孟菲斯市的外科醫生 Dr. Hugh Smith 與他的朋友, 眼見事態嚴重, 亦盡力相救。在1970年代早期, 他曾對 Bessie Smith 的死亡事件, 提供了一份最可靠的目擊者證詞, 給予要為 Bessie Smith 撰寫傳記的作家 Chris Albertson 作寫作資料。
葬 禮 - Bessie Smith 的葬禮於費城 Philadelphia 舉行, 她的遺體原本被安放在 Upshurs 的殯儀館。由於她死亡的消息在費城的黑人社區蔓延, 人們呼籲要把她搬移到一間可容納更多人到來悼念的 O.V. Catto Elks Lodge, 當天報紙報導, 出席她的葬禮約七千人。而前往 Mount Lawn Cemetery 參加安葬哀悼的人則較多。分開已久的丈夫Jack Gee, 正處落泊潦到的困境, 要經一番籌借, 才可以給她豎了一塊細小而簡單刻上名字的墓碑。
她短促的生命、婚姻、事業, 像一顆閃閃的繁星在黑夜中消失 !
" Nobody knows you when you're down and out ? "
身 後 蕭 條 - 她的墳墓, 缺乏打理, 更見荒蕪, 至1970年八月七日, Janis Joplin 與一位年輕時曾經為 Bessie Smith 當家務工作的女子 Juanita Green, 兩人為她竪立了一塊墓碑, 並刻上墓誌 ....
可惜, 豎立了這墓碑後两個月, Janis Joplin 亦不幸離世。Dory Previn 1971年的一張專輯唱片 "Mythical Kings and Iguanas", 當中 "Stone For Bessie Smith" 正是献給 Janis Joplin 對她的致敬。
DOWN AND OUT - Janis Joplin
謠 言 - 一篇在雜誌的文章, 暗示 Bessie Smith 的失救, 曾引起不小的議論, 文章透露了因為到來搶救的是一間白人醫院的救護車, 當把她送到醫院時, 再要安排被轉送至黑人的醫院, 因這延誤至失血過多而死。這謠言一直持續到今天。
A STONE FOR BESSIE SMITH - Dory Previn
Isn't it amazing, shakes you to the bone?
She bought a stone for Bessie Smith
She bought Bessie Smith a stone
She got it for her grave site
On a temporary loan but she forgot
She had not paid for her own
She forgot she had not paid
She forgot she had not paid
After all the contracts
And arrangements had been made
She went to Bessie's grave
And marked it with a stone
But she still had to pay for her own
She went home to her class reunion
Where a classmate he confessed
She wouldn't want this getting out
But she used to be the best in school
She was a nice girl
As descent as the rest
Though she never was
Conservatively dressed
Isn't it amazing, you think
She would've known?
She bought a stone for Bessie Smith
She bought Bessie Smith a stone
She got it for her grave site
On a temporary loan but she forgot
She had not paid for her own
She forgot she had not paid
She forgot she had not paid
No sooner had the letters
On the deed begun to fade
When her ashes had been scattered
Been battered and been blown
She still had to pay for her own
She knew miss Gloria Swanson
On a TV show they met
They talked across a hundred years
Miss Gloria's with us yet
But Janis was a gambler
Who'd already lost a bet
And the time had come
To settle up her debt
Isn't it amazing, shakes you to the bone?
She bought a stone for Bessie Smith
She bought Bessie Smith a stone
She got it up for Bessie
On a temporary loan but she forgot
She had not paid for her own
She bought a stone for Bessie Smith
She bought Bessie Smith a stone
She got it for her grave site
On a temporary loan but she forgot
She had not paid for her own
She forgot she had not paid
She forgot she had not paid
After all the contracts
And arrangements had been made
She went to Bessie's grave
And marked it with a stone
But she still had to pay for her own
She went home to her class reunion
Where a classmate he confessed
She wouldn't want this getting out
But she used to be the best in school
She was a nice girl
As descent as the rest
Though she never was
Conservatively dressed
Isn't it amazing, you think
She would've known?
She bought a stone for Bessie Smith
She bought Bessie Smith a stone
She got it for her grave site
On a temporary loan but she forgot
She had not paid for her own
She forgot she had not paid
She forgot she had not paid
No sooner had the letters
On the deed begun to fade
When her ashes had been scattered
Been battered and been blown
She still had to pay for her own
She knew miss Gloria Swanson
On a TV show they met
They talked across a hundred years
Miss Gloria's with us yet
But Janis was a gambler
Who'd already lost a bet
And the time had come
To settle up her debt
Isn't it amazing, shakes you to the bone?
She bought a stone for Bessie Smith
She bought Bessie Smith a stone
She got it up for Bessie
On a temporary loan but she forgot
She had not paid for her own
"It's a little known fact that Janis Joplin, whose star burned so brightly but so briefly, had, just before her death, purchased a stone for Bessie Smith's grave site. Another star who died young and before her time." - YouTube