Blind Tom, the Black Pianist-composer (1849-1908): Continually EnslavedBlind Tom was the stage name of Thomas Greene Wiggins, a blind black pianist born into slavery in 1849. Noted by many musical authorities to be a musician of amazing skill, expressive playing, and incredible memory, he was nonetheless considered by his "admirers" still nearer to "animals" than other human beings, and was exploited by a series of whites after the Civil War for their own financial comfort. In this focused, consequential study, Geneva Southall reformulates the debate surrounding Blind Tom and expands its dimensions significantly. Southall asks questions about the talents of black performers and musicians, the relationship between black culture and economic prosperity, and the personal ability of talented black musicians to weather the dual stigmatization of racism and (in Blind Tom's case) physical disability to produce music not just worthy of remembrance, but of importance to the tradition of American arts from which they have been excluded. (Originally printed in cloth in 1999) |
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According advertised Albrecht American Music announced appeared April artistic attorney audience Bethune's Black Americans Black Musical Black Patti Blind Boone Blind Tom Blind Tom's Book Boston Brooklyn cert Charity Wiggins Chicago Church City Cleveland Gazette Colored American Columbus composer continued Coon Song County Daily death December described Eileen Southern Elise Bethune Eliza entertainment exhibitions February genius Georgia Hall heard hearing History idiot James January Jersey John G Josef Hoffman Journal July June Lerche Lerche's Louise Lynch manager March ment musical prodigy Musical Theatre musicians Negro noted November October Opera House orchestra performed pianist piano plaintiff played published Ragtime reviewer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Scarecrow Press Scott Joplin September Sissieretta Jones slave songs Southall Southern Theatre Thomas Wiggins tion Tom's Committee Tom's concerts Tom's mother Tom's musical Treadwell University Press vaudeville Virginia Washington White Willa Willa Cather William wonderful World writer York Clipper York Supreme Court