Esther Bigeou

Blues singer Esther Bigeou grew up in one of New Orleans' most musical families (she was a cousin of drummer Paul Barbarin), but ended up with a style more vaudevillian than blues or jazz oriented. In 1923, she recorded with Rickett's Stars, Piron's New Orleans Orchestra and Clarence Williams. After Mamie Smith's Crazy Blues was a resounding success, Bigeou began recording blues songs. She spent the 1920s touring the country with the TOBA circuit, leaving the music business and returning to New Orleans in around 1930. ~ Ron DePasquale