Sippie Wallace

Sippie Wallace

Sippie Wallace (born Beulah Belle Thomas, November 1, 1898 – November 1, 1986) was an American blues singer, pianist and songwriter. Her early career in tent shows gained her the billing "The Texas Nightingale". Between 1923 and 1927, she recorded over 40 songs for Okeh Records, many written by her or her brothers, George and Hersal Thomas. Her accompanists included Louis Armstrong, Johnny Dodds, Sidney Bechet, King Oliver, and Clarence Williams. Among the top female blues vocalists of her era, Wallace ranked with Ma Rainey, Ida Cox, Alberta Hunter, and Bessie Smith. In the 1930s, she left show business to become a church organist, singer, and choir director in Detroit and performed secular music only sporadically until the 1960s, when she resumed her performing career. Wallace was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1982 and was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 1993.

Birth and Death Data: Born November 1, 1898 (Houston), Died November 1, 1986 (Detroit)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1923 - 1929

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, composer, songwriter, lyricist, piano

Notes: Born Beulah Belle Thomas.

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Victor	BVE-48865	10-in.	2/6/1929	Go down sunshine blues	Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with guitar, trombone, and piano	composer, instrumentalist, piano, vocalist
Victor	BVE-48866	10-in.	2/6/1929	You gonna need my help	Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with guitar, trombone, and piano	composer, instrumentalist, piano, vocalist
Victor	BVE-48870	10-in.	2/7/1929	I'm a mighty tight woman	Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	composer, instrumentalist, piano, vocalist
Victor	BVE-48871	10-in.	2/7/1929	Ain't nobody home but me	Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	composer, instrumentalist, piano, vocalist
OKeh	8490	10-in.	October 1923	Up the country blues	Eddie Heywood ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with piano	vocalist, songwriter
OKeh	8491	10-in.	October 1923	Shorty George blues	Eddie Heywood ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with piano	vocalist
OKeh	8964	10-in.	Feb. 1925	Morning dove blues	Joe Oliver ; Hersal Thomas ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with cornet and piano	vocalist
OKeh	8965	10-in.	Feb. 1925	Devil dance blues	Joe Oliver ; Hersal Thomas ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with cornet and piano	vocalist, composer
OKeh	8966	10-in.	Feb. 1925	Every dog has his day	Joe Oliver ; Hersal Thomas ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with cornet and piano	vocalist, composer
OKeh	9546	10-in.	3/1/1926	A jealous woman like me	Louis Armstrong ; Hersal Thomas ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with trumpet and piano	vocalist, songwriter
OKeh	9547	10-in.	3/1/1926	Special delivery blues	Louis Armstrong ; Hersal Thomas ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with trumpet and piano	vocalist, songwriter
OKeh	9548	10-in.	3/1/1926	Jack of diamonds blues	Louis Armstrong ; Hersal Thomas ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with trumpet and piano	vocalist, songwriter
OKeh	9559	10-in.	3/3/1926	The mail train blues	Louis Armstrong ; Hersal Thomas ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with cornet and piano	vocalist
OKeh	9560	10-in.	3/3/1926	I feel good	Louis Armstrong ; Hersal Thomas ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with cornet and piano	vocalist
OKeh	9561	10-in.	3/3/1926	A man for every day in the week	Louis Armstrong ; Hersal Thomas ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with trumpet and piano	vocalist
OKeh	9929	10-in.	11/20/1926	I'm a mighty tight woman	Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with cornet and piano	vocalist, composer, lyricist, instrumentalist, piano
OKeh	9930	10-in.	11/20/1926	Bedroom blues	Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with cornet and piano	vocalist
OKeh	S-72567	10-in.	May 1924	Mama's gone, goodbye	Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with piano	vocalist
OKeh	S-72568	10-in.	May 1924	Caldonia blues	Sippie Wallace ; Clarence Williams	Female vocal solo, with piano	vocalist, lyricist
OKeh	S-72569	10-in.	May 1924	Underworld blues	Sippie Wallace ; Clarence Williams	Female vocal solo, with piano	vocalist, lyricist
OKeh	S-72570	10-in.	May 1924	Leaving me, daddy, is hard to do	Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with piano	vocalist
OKeh	S-72579	10-in.	May 1924	Can anybody take sweet mama's place?	Sippie Wallace ; Clarence Williams	Female vocal solo, with piano	vocalist, songwriter
OKeh	S-72580	10-in.	May 1924	Stranger's blues	Sippie Wallace ; Clarence Williams	Female vocal solo, with piano	vocalist, songwriter
OKeh	S-72606	10-in.	June 1924	Sud bustin' blues	Clarence Williams’ Harmonizers ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	vocalist
OKeh	S-72607	10-in.	June 1924	Wicked Monday morning blues	Clarence Williams’ Harmonizers ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	vocalist
OKeh	S-73007	10-in.	11/28/1924	Baby, I can't use you no more	Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance quintet	vocalist, songwriter
OKeh	S-73008	10-in.	11/28/1924	Trouble everywhere I roam	Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance quintet	vocalist, songwriter
OKeh	S-73012	10-in.	12/1/1924	I've stopped my man	Sippie Wallace ; Clarence Williams	Female vocal solo, with piano	vocalist
OKeh	S-73013	10-in.	12/1/1924	Walkin' talkin' blues	Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with piano	vocalist
OKeh	S-73014	10-in.	12/2/1924	I'm so glad I'm brownskin	Clarence Williams’ Trio ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio	vocalist
OKeh	S-73015	10-in.	12/2/1924	Off and on blues	Clarence Williams’ Trio ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio	vocalist
OKeh	S-73018	10-in.	12/3/1924	He's the cause of me being blue	Clarence Williams’ Trio ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with banjo and piano	vocalist, songwriter
OKeh	S-73019	10-in.	12/3/1924	Let my man alone blues	Clarence Williams’ Trio ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with banjo and piano	vocalist
OKeh	73555	10-in.	8/19/1925	Section hand blues	Perry Bradford’s Jazz Phools ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble	vocalist
OKeh	73556	10-in.	8/19/1925	Parlor social de luxe	Perry Bradford’s Jazz Phools ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble	vocalist
OKeh	73557	10-in.	8/20/1925	Being down don't worry me	Rudolph Jackson ; Hersal Thomas ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with saxophone and piano	vocalist
OKeh	73558	10-in.	8/20/1925	Advice blues	Rudolph Jackson ; Hersal Thomas ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with saxophone and piano	vocalist
OKeh	73566	10-in.	Aug. 1925	Murder gonna be my crime	Hersal Thomas ; Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with piano	vocalist, composer, lyricist
OKeh	73567	10-in.	Aug. 1925	The man I love	Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with piano	vocalist, composer
OKeh	73574	10-in.	Aug. 1925	I am leaving you	Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio	vocalist
OKeh	73575	10-in.	Aug. 1925	I'm sorry for it now	Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio	vocalist
OKeh	73576	10-in.	Aug. 1925	Suitcase blues	Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio	vocalist
OKeh	73577	10-in.	Aug. 1925	I must have it	Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio	vocalist
OKeh	W80837	10-in.	5/6/1927	Dead drunk blues	Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with clarinet, cornet, and piano	vocalist
OKeh	W80838	10-in.	5/6/1927	Have you ever been down?	Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with clarinet, cornet, and piano	vocalist
OKeh	W80839	10-in.	5/6/1927	Lazy man blues	Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with clarinet, cornet, and piano	vocalist, lyricist
OKeh	W80840	10-in.	5/6/1927	The flood blues	Sippie Wallace	Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	vocalist, lyricist

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Wallace, Sippie," accessed November 22, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/106281.

Wallace, Sippie. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/106281.

"Wallace, Sippie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 22 November 2024.