Though her recording career spanned only 10 years, “Empress of the Blues” Bessie Smith had a huge influence on American music. This 2019 NPR interview includes parts of her first record, “Downhearted Blues”, with Maureen Mahon’s explanation of how Smith laid the foundations of rock & roll. (The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted her in 1989.)

Smith’s “Downhearted Blues” was the first of several hits she released in 1923. They join the public domain in 32 days. #PublicDomainDayCountdown