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Bessie Griffin

b: 1922 in New Orleans (USA) d: 1989 Contralto gospel singer, first with the [a=Southern Harps] in 1942. In September 1949, Griffin signed an exclusive contract with the [l=Sittin' In With] label. In 1951, she moved to Chicago where she met [a=Mahalia Jackson] and joined [a=The Caravans (2)] in 1953. Back in New Orleans, she sang with Professor [a=Alex Bradford] in 1958. In the 1960s, she was the first artist to sing gospel in Hollywood night clubs. She toured Africa and Europe in the 1970s.