And No! Its got Nothing to do wit your Humble No
Fenders scribe Tomaso! Other than being Blind…
“Say that Boy’s a wonderment
No! The kid’s a Freak
His Black hands resting on the keys
Popping like a big old Frog
And hissing like a train
Faint hearts with their fans out
Starched collars and cigars
He weren’t no use for Slaving
I wouldn’t want Him in my yard”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS2-gOY-bK0
Once again, thoust Seas ‘O Synchronicity were
splish-splashing ah-Mighty’ over Mwah Here in Nofendersville…
Being in the midst of “reading”, Err listening
to Pat Conroy’s The Prince of Tides, an amazing book! Tacoma Bureau Chief Mary
Ellen told me She’d just heard about something to do with me on the radio.
No, it wasn’t about me on the radio, but the
local KING FM Classical radio station telling Her about a Black piano virtuoso
simply known as Blind tom during the 1800’s.
As I’d just read the portion of The Prince of
Tides where none other than Anne Frank is brilliantly used to point out the
persecution African Americans were subjected to. Not to mention the Horrors
they submitted to following 1954’s Brown v Board of Education ruling.
But back to our unknown Black piano virtuoso
simply known as blind tom. As Thomas “blind tom” Greene Wiggins was born into
Slavery on a Georgia Plantation in1849. Beginning to play the piano at age
four, and reportedly composing His first song at age five titled the Rain Storm,
after listening to a heavy downpour upon a tin roof.
Suppose you could say that wiggins had an
idetic memory, since Tom’s claimed to have memorized 7,000 recorded songs. And
could play back anything after hearing it performed just once! Whilst most
amazingly playing one song with His left hand. A second song with His right.
And singing a third, different song All at once! For which as Sir Elton sings,
may be He’s a Savant!
And even though Slavery was outlawed by the end
of the Civil War,and is now celebrated on June Teenth. Blind Tom remained in
the servitude of the Family that Had bought Him and His parents in 1850 for the
remainder of His life.
As the white Family He lived with is claimed to
have eventually made $750,000 off of “loaning” out Blind tom for performances.
Beginning at age eight, Tom’s hiring for up to four performances a day, netted
General James Neil Bethune and His family an estimated $100,000 yearly.
At age 16 Bethune took Him to Europe for His
first international exposure. With Blind Tom being the first African American
to perform for a U.S. President in the White House. For which noted author Mark
Twain was present for many of Wiggins performances over the years…
Yet Blind tom wasn’t without His criticism, mainly
regarding His most famous song, The Battle of Manassa. Which reputedly the
Confedrecy profited from His work, especially as the song is about their
victory in 1861. With many Black newspapers failing to recognize Black Tom due
to this perceived connection…
There were also nasty legal custody fights over
whom Wiggins lived with during His life, all the while continuously traveling
the United States playing the piano. With audiences playing Stump Blind tom to
no avail, when challenging the musician to play two unheard, new compositions
back to them after a single hearing.
Wiggins was present during the 1889 Johnstown
Flood, and afterwards for years, people doubted He was the real Blind tom!
In 1903, Wiggins began performing on the
Vaudeville circuit, until in December the following year, suffered an apparent
stroke. This ended His public performance, albeit He could still be heard
playing the piano at home for countless hours days and nights. Before He
suffered His life ending stroke at age 59 in 1908.
Reading
His biography, I learned that several books have been written about Him. Along
with various musicians recording His songs, or writing songs about Him.
As pianist John Davis recorded the album John
Davis plays Blind tom in 1999. While Sir Elton John recorded The Ballad of
Blind Tom on His 2013 album The Diving board. For which I really like its
haunting piano melody.
Ironically, Elton John is currently suffering
eyesight issues. Reportedly being totally blind in His right eye, and having
only partial sight from His left. With John saying He’s gained great empathy
for All of those with low vision or being blind from His eyesight issues…
Meanwhile, on January 8th, the youngest member
of the original Freedom riders Bus Charles Person Died at Age 82. As Person was
just 18 in 1961, a College Freshman at MoreHouse College, when He volunteered
to ride a Bus to New Orleans to challenge the Interstate Commerce Commission’s
(ICC) failure of upholding the integration of Interstate Bus terminals and Bus
Desegregation. Which the Supreme court’s rulings in both 1946 and 1960 had found
to be unconstitutional.
As six
pairs of white and black Freedom Riders were paired together, including future Congressman
John Lewis. Riding a Trailways bus departing Washington D.C. on May 4, 1961. Before
encountering fierce opposition from white Klansmen who boarded the bus in
Atlanta. Saying just wait until we get to Alabama!
Arriving in Anniston, Alabama, where another
Greyhound Freedom Riders Bus had been “torched” hours earlier. The white
Klansmen attacked the black Freedom Riders before dragging the bloodied men to
the rear of the bus. And stacking them like pancakes!
With the bus continuing to Birmingham, where
the Freedom Ride came to its Ugly conclusion! Where riders noticed about twenty
whites outside with lead pipes, before all Hell broke loose when the Freedom
Riders exited the bus to attempt testing Alabama’s segregationist policies…
As Person and James Peck, were designated the
first pair to attempt entering the station and using a white’s only lunch counter
. With Person later recanting He was attacked by a man with a lead pipe.
While Peck, a white Harvard Alumni was brutally
beaten, recalling being unconscious in seconds, before both men escaped to Fred
Shuttleworth’s home…
On May 29, 1961, after the Kennedy’s had asked
for a “cooling down” period, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy sent a petition
to the ICC requesting them toenforce their rules regarding integration. Before
the ICC finally invoked a new integration policy on November, 1, 1961.
While its hard to think that the murder of
George Floyd occurred only some four-plus years ago on Memorial Day, May 25,
2020.
As how will our current President choose to act
regarding Diversity during His second term?
So much for that pipe dream, as what Diversity
and Inclusion? Welcome to White Man Central 2.0!
Partial song lyrics
from Elton John’s the ballad of Blind tom. From the 2013 album The Diving
Board.
(Steinway and Sons concert grand Piano model D-274 image source: commons.wikimedia.org)
