Legendary singer Bessie Smith, who captivated audiences during the 20s and 30s, is set the get the royal treatment as Queen Latifah prepares the singer in HBO’s “Bessie.” Scheduled to debut on May 16, the biopic follows the story of Smith, once regarded as the best blues songstress of her time.
In honor of the project, HBO has announced the launch of Bessie’s 81 Theater Tour, a private workshop that will utilize top songwriters and producers in order to offer to provide invaluable industry insight as well as mimic how Smith and her peers created their own community of musicians prior to the invention of Social Media.
The brainchild of producer Bryan Michael Cox and songwriter Stacy Barthe, each showcase will feature local artists handpicked by industry vets, with showcases to be held in New York (April 28th and 30th) and in Los Angeles. Each event will feature a dinner and a private concert that boasts a special performance at the end.
For more information, please visit www.bessiethemovie.com. Join in the conversation about the series via the the tour’s official hashtag, #Bessie81Tour