Fabulist!

I've been reading a lot lately about the ladies who sang the blues in the 1920s, and my absolute favorite is without a doubt Alberta Hunter (1895-1984). She was born in Memphis, Tennessee and ran away at the age of 11 (some say 12, some say 15, I say it hardly matters) to Chicago, where she became a singer in the nightclubs. She recorded music, wrote hit songs, toured with the USO and was (most likely) a lesbian and (most definitely) a total looker.

Here she is in 1981 performing "Two-Fisted, Double-Jointed, Rough and Ready Man" at the Smithsonian, after springing forth from retirement with a gusto. Just watching her and her total pleasure in performing, not to mention how much her accompanists and her audience are loving her and her performance, furthers my conviction that we only get better with age.