In short
The artists most similar to Bessie Smith are Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Etta James, from the same blues, vaudeville blues and jazz circle.
Closest to Bessie Smith
More similar artists
Ordered by closeness, computed from real listens (ListenBrainz). The Bandcamp badge marks who has a page there, verified with Wikidata.
Frequently asked questions
Which artists are similar to Bessie Smith?
The artists most similar to Bessie Smith are Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Etta James, from the same blues, vaudeville blues and jazz circle. The list comes from ListenBrainz, based on what people actually listen to, and includes 30 artists.
Where can I listen to music like Bessie Smith?
On Bandcamp, where you buy directly from artists and labels: John Lee Hooker, Etta James, Big Bill Broonzy and Lightnin’ Hopkins have a page there. With Digs you create a "Like Bessie Smith" Dig that mixes their releases with smaller artists with the same sound.
What genre is Bessie Smith?
Bessie Smith is usually associated with blues, vaudeville blues and jazz (artist · US · born 1894), according to MusicBrainz genres.
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Data: MusicBrainz · ListenBrainz (CC0) · Wikidata. Updated 5 November 2026.