The Friends of Shepherdstown Library (FOSL) will host Doris Fields on September 16 (Thu), 6:30 pm in the pavilion at Morgan’s Grove Park (4198 Kearneysville Pike, Shepherdstown, WV). Fields will be portraying legendary blues singer Bessie Smith, performing and answering questions in character. The performance, based on the one-woman play “The Lady and the Empress,” created by Fields in 2003, is part of the WV Humanities Council History Alive! Program.
Like Smith, Fields is a native of WV who grew up singing in church and community choir. Following a brief stint with an R&B band, she married and raised a family. After a 20 year break, she returned to college, earned a degree in communications and started her own band. Since then she has released several albums, toured up and down the East Coast, organized blues festivals, and published a book of poetry (Appalachian BluesSpeak). Fields’ latest album, released in 2020 is titled Disturbing My Peace, a reflection on the events and trauma of last year.
Free Admission. More information at FOSLWV.org.
By Staff Contributor