| Lottie Kimbrough | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | "The Kansas City Butterball"; Lottie Kimborough; Lottie Beaman; Lena Kimbrough; Clara Cary; Jennie Brooks; Lottie Brown; Lottie Emerson; Mae Moran; Martha Johnson[1] |
| Born | 1900 West Bottoms, Kansas City, Missouri, United States |
| Died | Unknown |
| Genres | Country blues[2] |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1920s |
| Labels | Paramount, Merrit, Gennett, Champion, Supertone, and Superior Records. |
Lottie Kimbrough (1900[3] – unknown) was an American country blues singer, who was also billed as Lottie Kimborough, Lottie Beaman, and Lena Kimbrough (amongst several others). Kimbrough was a large woman, and was nicknamed "the Kansas City Butterball".[2][4] Her recording career lasted from 1924 to 1929, however Allmusic journalist Burgin Mathews stated "Kimbrough's vocal power, and the unique arrangements of several of her best pieces, rank her as one of the sizable talents of the 1920s blues tradition.[2]
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Kimbrough was born in West Bottoms, Kansas City, Missouri, and retained close links to her local community. She was managed by Winston Holmes, himself a local musician and music promoter.[2] Her music career began in the early part of the 1920s, when she performed in Kansas City's nightclubs and speakeasys.[3] In 1924 she undertook her first recording session at Paramount Records, where she was recorded alongside Ma Rainey. Her earliest recordings used the twins Milas (banjo) and Miles Pruitt (guitar), whilst she was later backed by Jimmy Blythe (piano).[2] In 1925 she shared recording studio space with Papa Charlie Jackson. The same year she cut some tracks for the Holmes owned Merrit Records.[3]
As time progressed, Kimbrough recorded and performed using a number of pseudonyms. Whilst she used her married name, Lottie Beaman, on almost half of her tracks, Holmes suggested for her 1926 recording sessions that she was renamed Lena Kimbrough. More pertinently her manager substituted a photograph of Kimbrough's more photogenic sister, Estella, for Lottie's publicity purposes.[2] She also appeared billed as either Clara Cary or Mae Moran. She further recorded in Richmond, Indiana, and alternate namings were used for issues by Gennett, Champion (billed as Lottie Emerson), Supertone (as Lottie Brown) and Superior Records (as Martha Johnson).[3][5] Her Gennett sessions included the tracks "Rolling Log Blues" and "Goin' Away Blues", which music journalist Tony Russell described as having "haunting beauty".[6]
Kimbrough's brother Sylvester appeared with her in vaudeville, and in 1926 he supplied recording accompaniment with Paul Banks' Kansas City Trio. Nevertheless, it was Kimbrough's musical collaboration with Holmes which provided her better known recordings. Holmes supplied a series of yodels, and vocalised bird calls and train whistles on both "Lost Lover Blues" and "Wayward Girl Blues" (1928). Miles Pruitt was part of this recording and was a regular partner throughout Kimbrough's recording and concert career. He was featured again when Kimbrough recorded her final session in November 1929.[2]
Her self-penned song "Rolling Log Blues" has subsequently been recorded by Jo Ann Kelly, Woody Mann, Son House, The Blues Band, Rory Block, Eric Bibb, and Maria Muldaur.[7]
Little is known of her life beyond her recording career.[3]