Edna Alexander
Edna Belle Alexander (1892–1972) was an American soprano singer and composer from Ottumwa, Iowa. Born on March 19, 1892, she was one of nine children in her family. She graduated from North Des Moines High School in 1911 and was involved in the Des Moines Negro Lyceum, where she sang at local events.
Alexander married twice; first to William Beach in 1911, with whom she later divorced, and then to fellow musician and songwriter Maceo Pinkard in 1917. Under the pseudonym Alex Belledna, she co-wrote several songs, including "It's Right Here for You (If You Don't Get It—Tain't No Fault of Mine)" with Marion Dickerson, which was featured on the 1920 record Crazy Blues by Mamie Smith. She and Pinkard also collaborated on the Broadway musical novelty show "Pansy" in 1929, which closed shortly after its debut.
Edna Alexander's music continued to be celebrated posthumously, with her work included in the musical retrospectives "One Mo' Time" (1979–1987) and "Blues in the Night" (2002). She passed away in 1972, leaving a legacy as a pioneering African-American woman in the music industry.