Georgia White

All Music Guide:

Barrelhouse blues vocalist Georgia White recorded mildly risqué blues songs from the mid-30s through the early '40s including "I'll Keep Sitting on It," "Take Me for a Buggy Ride," "Mama Knows What Papa Wants When Papa's Feeling Blue," and "Hot Nuts." She reportedly moved to Chicago in the 1920s and began working as a singer in the nightclubs during the late '20s. Georgia White first recorded in May 1930 for the Vocalion label with Jimmie Noone's Apex Club Orchestra when she sang just one song, "When You're Smiling, the Whole World Smiles With You." White didn't return to the studios until 1935, but recorded regularly from then on through the early '40s for the Decca label. In 1935, she also recorded a couple of songs, including "Your Worries Ain't Like Mine," under the alias Georgia Lawson. From her first sessions until the late '30s, White was accompanied by pianist Richard Jones. The late '30s found White accompanied by blues guitarist Lonnie Johnson. In the late '40s, Georgia White formed an all-women band. She also worked with Big Bill Broonzy from 1949-50, and returned to singing in the clubs during the 1950s. Georgia White's last known public performance was in 1959, after which she retired from the music business.

Wikipedia:

Georgia White (March 9, 1903 – c.1980) was an African American blues singer, most prolific in the 1930s and 1940s.

Little is known of her early life. By the late 1920s she was singing in clubs in Chicago, and she made her first recording, "When You're Smiling, the Whole World Smiles With You," with Jimmie Noone's orchestra in 1930. She returned to the studio in 1935, and over the next six years recorded over 100 tracks for Decca Records, usually accompanied by the pianist Richard M. Jones and also, in the late 1930s, by guitarist Lonnie Johnson. Her output exceeds that of her rivals Lil Johnson and Merline Johnson, and even Memphis Minnie, during those years.

She also recorded under the name Georgia Lawson. Many of her songs were mildly risqué, including "I'll Keep Sitting on It," "Take Me for a Buggy Ride," "Mama Knows What Papa Wants When Papa's Feeling Blue," and "Hot Nuts." Her best known song was "You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now."

In the 1940s, Georgia White formed an all-women band, which never recorded, and also performed with Bumble Bee Slim. In 1949 she joined Big Bill Broonzy as pianist in his Laughing Trio. "She was very easy to get along with," said Broonzy. "Real friendly."

She returned to singing in clubs in the 1950s, and her last known public performance was in 1959 in Chicago.

One of her songs, "Alley Boogie" (recorded November 9, 1937), was used as the theme music for the British romantic comedy drama series, Love Soup.