Edith Wilson (née Goodall; September 2, 1896 – March 31, 1981) was an American blues singer, vaudeville performer, and actress from Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. An African-American who performed and recorded in the classic female blues style in the 1920s, Wilson worked in vaudeville and stage productions, first in Louisville and later throughout the U.S. and abroad.
[1][4] Danny, a pianist who had been trained at a conservatory in Charleston, South Carolina, encouraged Lena and Edith to sing not just blues but also other song forms.
[5] Together the trio performed on the East Coast in 1920–1921, and when they were in New York City Wilson was signed by Columbia, which recorded her in 1921 with Johnny Dunn's Jazz Hounds.
She sang with The Hot Chocolates revue, performing alongside Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller, and made appearances with Bill Robinson, Duke Ellington, Alberta Hunter, Cab Calloway, and Noble Sissle.
[1] Although "her appearance as Aunt Jemima on early commercials was criticized as demeaning",[2] she was proud of what she considered the aura of dignity she brought to the character.
[1][8] Wilson made a comeback in 1973 to play with Eubie Blake, Little Brother Montgomery, and Terry Waldo.