First Recording Session for Columbia Records in Memphis

In June 1929, a talent scout for Columbia Records discovered Lizzie Douglas and her husband, guitarist Kansas Joe McCoy, performing on Beale Street in Memphis. This encounter led directly to their first recording session, held in Memphis, where the duo cut several sides including their signature song 'Bumble Bee.'

It was at or around this session that Lizzie Douglas formally adopted the stage name Memphis Minnie, a moniker that would carry her to national fame. The recordings captured a raw, technically dazzling guitar style and a commanding vocal presence that immediately distinguished her from most of her blues contemporaries.

This session marked her transition from a regional street performer to a recording artist with national distribution, at a time when relatively few women — and even fewer Black women — were given the opportunity to record as instrumentalists rather than solely as vocalists. Minnie's guitar virtuosity on these early sides helped establish her reputation as a formidable player capable of matching or besting male guitarists, including in the legendary cutting contests she would later win against figures like Big Bill Broonzy.

The success of these initial recordings launched a prolific recording career spanning over two decades and roughly 200 songs, cementing her legacy as one of the most significant blues artists of the era.