Chris Albertson
A meticulous jazz historian and producer who brought the raw, vital story of blues legend Bessie Smith to definitive life.
1931–2019 (age 88)·Music journalist, writer and record producer·Birthday: October 18·The Silent Generation
Biography
Chris Albertson operated at the gritty, informed heart of jazz journalism and preservation. Born in Iceland, he found his calling in New York's vibrant mid-century music scene, writing with authority for major magazines. His deep-dive reporting led him to the pioneers of the music itself, cultivating sources and trust. This groundwork culminated in his masterwork, the biography 'Bessie,' a richly detailed and unvarnished portrait of the Empress of the Blues that set a new standard for music scholarship. As a producer, he had an ear for authenticity, helming sessions for Riverside Records that captured the essence of artists like Sonny Rollins and Thelonious Monk. Albertson's career was built on the conviction that the stories behind the notes were as crucial as the music.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Chris was born in 1931, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chris Was Born
The biggest hits of 1931
#1 Movie
Frankenstein
Best Picture
Cimarron
Chris's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1931Born
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1936Started school
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1944Became a teenager
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Could drive
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1949Could vote
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Turned 21
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1961Turned 30
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 40
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 50
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 60
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 70
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 80
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2019Died at 88
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
Key Achievements
- Authored the seminal and critically acclaimed biography 'Bessie,' first published in 1972, which remains the definitive work on blues singer Bessie Smith.
- Produced landmark recording sessions for Riverside Records, including albums by Sonny Rollins and Coleman Hawkins.
- Served as the U.S. editor for the British jazz magazine 'Melody Maker' during a key period.
- His extensive interviews and research form a valuable oral history archive of jazz and blues.
Did You Know?
He began his career as a radio announcer and disc jockey in Iceland.
Albertson was also a skilled illustrator and cartoonist.
He served in the U.S. Navy, which first brought him to the United States.
His biography of Bessie Smith involved tracking down and interviewing people who knew her, including a surviving relative who was a mortician.
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