- Lucille Hegamin
Lucille Nelson Hegamin (
November 29 ,1894 –1 March ,1970 ) was aUnited States singer andentertainer , and a pioneerAfrican American blues recording artist.Hegamin was born as Lucille Nelson in
Macon, Georgia . By the age of 15 she was touring the US South withMinstrel show s. She became a prominent singer, billed as "The Georgia Peach". She settled inChicago, Illinois in 1914. where she worked withTony Jackson andJelly Roll Morton before marryingpianist Bill Hegamin . [Harris, 1994, pp. 220-221]The Hegamins moved to
Los Angeles, California in 1918, then toNew York City the following year. Bill Hegamin led his wife's accompanying band, called the "Blue Flame Syncopators";Jimmy Wade was a member of this ensemble.In November of 1920 Lucille Hegamin became the second African American blues singer to record, after
Mamie Smith . [Stewart-Baxter, 1970, p. 16] Hegamin made a series of recordings for the Artorecord label through 1922, then some sides for Paramount. From 1922 through late 1926 she recorded forCameo Records ; from this association she was billed as "The Cameo Girl". Like Mamie Smith, Hegamin sang in a lighter, more pop-tune influenced style than the rougher rural-style blues singers such asMa Rainey andBessie Smith who became more popular a few years later. Her influences includedAnnette Hanshaw andRuth Etting . [Harris, 1994, p. 222]In 1926 Lucille Hegamin performed in
Clarence Williams ' Review at the Lincoln Theater in New York, then in various reviews in New York andAtlantic City, New Jersey through 1934.In 1929 she appeared on the
radio show "Negro Achievement Hour" on WABC, New York. [Harris, 1994, p. 221]In 1932 she recorded for
Okeh Records .About 1934 she retired from music as a profession, and worked as a
nurse .She came out of retirement to make more records in 1961 and 1962.
Lucille Hegamin died in Harlem Hospital in New York City and was interred in the
Cemetery of the Evergreens inBrooklyn, New York . [Harris, 1994, p. 221]Notes
References
*Harris, Sheldon (1994). "Blues Who's Who" (Revised Ed.). New York: Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-80155-8
*Stewart-Baxter, Derrick (1970). "Ma Rainey and the classic blues singers". London: Studio Vista. ISBN 0289798256External links
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