portrait of this blog's author - by Stephen Blackman 2008

Friday, February 08, 2019

EUBIE BLAKE

Piano Monster!
The Man wrote 'I'm Just Wild About Harry'!
Born on this day: February 7, 1887 - Legendary songwriter and musician Eubie Blake (born James Hubert Blake in Baltimore, MD). Along with contemporaries like Scott Joplin, Blake was one of the preeminent African American composers of ragtime music in the late 19th and early 20th century. Along with his writing partner Noble Sissle, the duo write a number of songs that would become some of the most popular American music of its day, including the “Charleston Rag” and “I’m Just Wild About Harry”. Eubie Blake passes away on February 12, 1983, just five days after his 96th Birthday. Though Blake had stated that he had been born in 1883, though Census records confirm his actual year of birth being in 1887. Happy Birthday to this iconic American songwriter and musician.

No comments: