Rainey, Ma(Gertrude Bridget) Born april 3, 1888. Known as the"Mother of the Blues," "Ma" Rainey was born in Columbus, Ga. She made her stage debut at the Columbus Opera House in 1900 in a talent show called "The Bunch of Blackberries". She made her first recording in 1923 and her last on Dec 28, 1928. She died Dec 22, 1939, in Columbus, GA.
