HOW BESSIE SMITH
DIED OF NEGLECT
(1937)
Somewhere in Philadelphia - I know the place but not
the address now - I'm passing Billie Holiday Bessie Smith's
house. Yeah, they're all as one to me, and I don't know the
difference anyway. This faint conundrum, though bad and
erroneous too, has its story behind it. They all die
of neglect, even Bobby Womack too. When old
Bessie's appendix burst, no one wanted her. She
was black and dangerous; unwanted and unneeded
too. She was burnt toast, this Bessie Smith. One
hospital after another turned her down.
-
No. No. Fact is : she was in a car crash and later died
of her injuries, because a nearby hospital wouldn't take
her in. Because of her skin. Because she was black.
With the injuries within it wasn't her skin. But those
dumb bastards wouldn't budge. She was burnt toast
to them. How Bessie Smith died of neglect.
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