First lady of blues
Feb 15, 2021
4 minutes
Growing up as an adopted child in a Glasgow suburb, poet and author Jackie Kay would sometimes forget she was black. Well, not forget, exactly. But surrounded by white faces, she’d catch a glimpse of herself in a mirror and be shocked by her own reflection.
So when, on her 12th birthday, her dad gave her the double album, by 1920s diva Bessie Smith, she felt a jolt of recognition. “I think it’s the best present I have ever had,” she says. “The most exciting thing were the photographs on either side – two very different faces: one smiling, one
You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.
Start your free 30 days