Virginia Liston

Virginia Liston

Source: Past Blues

Born in 1890 in St. Louis, Missouri, Virginia Liston's life remains largely obscure. She began performing professionally about 1912, several years before forming a vaudeville duo with her husband, Samuel Gray, in 1920. That duo was called Liston and Liston which was also the songwriting team behind 'Mexican Blues' recorded by Leona Williams in October of 1922 toward issue on Columbia A3736.

Liston released her first issues from a session on September 18, 1923, in NYC for Okeh: 'Bed Time Blues' and 'You Thought I Was Blind'. Those were with pianist, Clarence Williams. DAHR traces Liston to as late as 29 May of 1926 for her composition, 'I'm Gonna Get Me a Man That's All', that her last matrix.

'Bed Time Blues'   Virginia Liston   First recording

Recorded 18 Sep 1923   Matrix 71846-B   OKeh 8092

Piano: Clarence Williams   Composition: Sam Gray / Virginia Liston

'You Thought I Was Blind'   Virginia Liston   Second recording

Recorded 18 Sep 1923   Matrix 71847-B   OKeh 8092

Piano: Clarence Williams   Composition: Sam Gray / Clarence Williams / Virginia Liston

'You Don't Know My Mind Blues'   Virginia Liston

Recorded 15 Nov 1923   OKeh 8115

Piano: Clarence Williams   Composition: Sam Gray / Virginia Liston

'I'm Sick of Fattening Frogs for Snakes'   Virginia Liston

Recorded 3 June 1925   OKeh 8234

Reed organ: Clarence Williams   Composition: Perry Bradford

'I'm Gonna Get Me a Man That's All'   Virginia Liston

Recorded 29 May 1926   Vocalion 1032

Possible: Cornet: Demas Dean   Piano: Perry Bradford   Banjo: Sam Speed

Composition: Virginia Liston

Liston's was a very brief career, her last recordings in May of 1926, three years before her retirement from the music industry. She died young in her early forties in June of 1932 in St. Louis, causes unknown.