Bessie Jones

Although closely associated with the unique music of the Georgia Sea Islands, singer Bessie Jones wasn't born there, but in a small mainland Georgia town. As a young woman she moved to the islands and became an intrinsic part of its cultural life. Located directly off the Georgia coast, these islands represent a small but fascinating chapter in American history, a bit of which bears repetition to fully understand Jones' background. Once the site of large plantations, the islands were seized by the Union in 1861, early in the Civil War. It was a strategic location from which t...