Blake, Eubie

Blake, Eubie
orig. James Hubert Blake

born Feb. 7, 1883, Baltimore, Md., U.S.
died Feb. 12, 1983, Brooklyn, N.Y.

U.S. songwriter and pianist.

He played piano in cafés and brothels as a teenager, and in 1899 he composed his first ragtime song, "Sounds of Africa." He and his partner, lyricist and vocalist Noble Sissle (1889–1975), were among the first African American performers to appear onstage without minstrel makeup. Their show Shuffle Along (1921), which introduced Paul Robeson and Josephine Baker, was among the first musicals written, produced, and directed by African Americans. In 1925 Blake cowrote the score to Blackbirds of 1930. He achieved his greatest fame when the musical Eubie opened on Broadway (1978). He gave his last concert in 1982.

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▪ American musician
byname of  James Hubert Blake  
born Feb. 7, 1883, Baltimore, Md., U.S.
died Feb. 12, 1983, Brooklyn, N.Y.
 American pianist and composer of ragtime music and show tunes.

      Blake early exhibited a natural aptitude for the keyboard. As a teenager, he played piano in cafés and brothels, and in 1899 he played his first rag, “Sounds of Africa,” published in 1919 as “Charleston Rag.” His meeting with the lyricist and vocalist Noble Sissle in 1915 resulted in a long association between the two entertainers. They were among the first black performers to appear onstage without minstrel makeup. Their show Shuffle Along (1921) was among the first musicals to be written, produced, and directed by blacks. It featured Blake's best remembered song, “I'm Just Wild About Harry,” and introduced three entertainers whose later careers would be notable: Paul Robeson (Robeson, Paul), Florence Mills, and Josephine Baker (Baker, Josephine). After Blake and Sissle broke up in 1925, he teamed with lyricist Andy Razaf to write the score to Blackbirds of 1930, which contained the popular song “Memories of You.”

      Blake continued his career as an entertainer, making both piano rolls and records and appearing in concerts. He retired in 1946 but came out of retirement in 1969 to record an album. From then on he resumed performing, giving his last public concert in 1982. He achieved his greatest fame when a musical based on his songs, Eubie, opened on Broadway (1978). In 1981 Blake was awarded the Medal of Freedom.

Additional Reading
Lawrence T. Carter, Eubie Blake: Keys of Memory (1979); Al Rose, Eubie Blake (1979).

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Blake, Eubie — orig. James Hubert Blake (7 feb. 1883, Baltimore, Md., EE.UU.–12 feb. 1983, Brooklyn, N.Y.). Pianista y escritor de canciones estadounidense. Durante su adolescencia tocó piano en cafés y burdeles y en 1899 compuso su primera canción de ragtime,… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Eubie Blake — [Eubie Blake] (1883–1983) a US piano player and ↑composer. Both his parents had been slaves. He began playing ↑ragtime music and performed on stage until he was 99 years old. His successful songs include I’m Just Wild About Harry (used by… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Blake — Blake, William * * * (as used in expressions) Blake, Edward Blake, Eubie James Hubert Blake Blake, William Edwards, Blake William Blake McEdwards …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Blake — /blayk/, n. 1. Hector ( Toe ), born 1912, Canadian ice hockey player and coach. 2. James Hubert ( Eubie ), 1883 1983, U.S. jazz pianist and composer. 3. Robert, 1599 1657, British admiral. 4. William, 1757 1827, English poet, engraver, and… …   Universalium

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  • Blake — steht für: Blake (Familie), eine Familie aus dem irischen Galway F. C. Blake Co., ein ehemaliger britischer Automobilhersteller Blake (Band), eine finnische Band Blake Knoten, einen Kletterknoten eine in der Chirurgie genutzte Drainageform, siehe …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Blake,James Herbert — Blake (blāk), James Herbert. Known as “Eubie.” 1883 1983. American pianist and composer noted for his popular songs and Broadway productions, such as Shuffle Along (1921), which included “I m Just Wild about Harry.” * * * …   Universalium

  • Eubie Blake — ➡ Blake (I) * * * …   Universalium

  • Eubie Blake — Infobox musical artist Name = Eubie Blake Background = non vocal instrumentalist Birth name = James Hubert Blake Born = birth date|1887|2|7 Baltimore, Maryland, USA Died = death date|1983|2|12|1883|2|7 (Age 96) Brooklyn, New York, USA Genre =… …   Wikipedia

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