She was signed by Okeh records and her original composition, "Black Snake Blues", was a huge success. That was followed by "Dirty Woman Blues" and for two years after that, the red hot Spivey recorded nearly one record a month, often accompanied by talent such as Lonnie Johnson, Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Clarence Williams and many others. Her biggest influence was another red hot Blues Woman, Ida Cox, and the topics of the songs Spivey wrote were often of the same raw nature, covering subjects like drug addiction, poverty, crime, health issues and sex.
As the Depression set in and most ladies of the blues left the circuit, Spivey found a new outlet for her talents, first in King Vidor's first sound film "Halleluyah" as Miss Rosie, and later in other films and stage shows, including the acclaimed "Hellzapoppin"" review in New York. She was able to continue to record and perform through the 1940's.
In the 1950's. Spivey retired from show business, playing a pipe organ in her church and leading the choir. But the early 60's blues revival would bring her out of retirement and back into the limelight. As one of the few surviving original Ladies of the Blues, Spivey was in big demand at folk and blues festivals. Her sexually suggestive song lyrics resonated with the sexual revolution of the 60's and 70's. Spivey created her own record company, Spivey Records, and Bob Dylan joined her on her first recording for the label. Her album "Songs We Taught Your Mother" featured Alberta Hunter and Lucille Hegiman and brought women in the blues back to the forefront. Spivey continued to perform, record and preserve the blues of her heyday until her death just shy of her 70th birthday.
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