Biography
Victoria Regina Spivey, born on October 15, 1906, in Houston, Texas, grew up in a musical family where her father Grant played in a string band and her sisters Addie 'Sweet Peas' Spivey, Elton Island 'the Za Zu Girl,' and Leona also performed blues. She displayed early talent, performing with her family's band, singing, playing piano, and working in rough venues like gambling parlors, gay hangouts, and whorehouses in Houston, Galveston, and Dallas alongside figures like Blind Lemon Jefferson. At age 12 in 1918, she became a pianist at the Lincoln Theater in Dallas, and by 1926, she moved to St. Louis, signing with Okeh Records for her debut 'Black Snake Blues,' a hit that launched her career in classic female blues characterized by expressive storytelling, risqué themes, and a hard, nasal voice.
Spivey's recording career spanned four decades, from 1926 to the mid-1960s, with labels including Okeh, Victor, Vocalion, and Decca. She recorded in New York with elite accompanists like Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Lonnie Johnson, and Red Allen, appeared in films such as King Vidor's 'Hallelujah!' (1929) as 'Missy' and the 'Hellzapoppin' Revue,' and led her own orchestra while managing her husband, tap dancer Billy Adams. After a 1950s hiatus singing in church, the 1960s folk-blues revival revitalized her career; she co-founded Spivey Records in 1961 with Len Kunstadt, releasing works like 'Three Kings and the Queen' (1962) and touring festivals including the American Folk Blues Festival in Europe.
Known as 'Queen Victoria' or 'Queen Vee,' Spivey's legacy endures as a pioneering classic blues singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist (piano, organ, ukulele), businesswoman, and preserver of blues traditions. She influenced the urban female blues style of the 1920s-1930s, nurtured revival-era talent, and was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame for her 40-year career and role in connecting generations.
Fun Facts
- Spivey sued her music publisher for royalties in 1928, showcasing her business savvy early in her career.
- She earned lasting fame playing 'Missy' in the historic all-black 1929 film 'Hallelujah!' directed by King Vidor.
- In the 1950s, after leaving show business, she sang only in church before her 1960s comeback.
- Spivey performed at the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival in 1973 with Roosevelt Sykes, continuing into her late 60s.
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Sippie Wallace - lifelong friend and idol from Houston who inspired her singing career (shared rough club scenes in Houston and Dallas) [early 1910s-1920s]
- Ida Cox - idol whose theater and nightclub persistence she emulated (influenced Spivey's performance style during Depression era) [1920s-1930s]
Key Collaborators
- Louis Armstrong - recording accompanist and touring partner (various 1920s-1930s sessions and bands) [1920s-1930s]
- King Oliver - recording accompanist (Okeh and other sessions) [1920s]
- Lonnie Johnson - recording accompanist (multiple sides for Okeh and Victor) [1920s-1930s]
- Bob Dylan - young musician on harmonica and backing vocals for Spivey Records (Three Kings and the Queen (1962))
- Len Kunstadt - husband, companion, and co-founder of Spivey Records (Spivey Records label and productions) [1961-1976]
Artists Influenced
- Bob Dylan - nurtured as up-and-coming talent; expressed affection and featured her photo on album (back cover of his album; inspired by her blues style) [1960s]
Connection Network
External Links
Tags: #blues, #vaudeville-blues
References
Heard on WWOZ
VICTORIA SPIVEY has been played 15 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.