Eubie Blake

Eubie Blake was born James Hubert Blake in Baltimore Maryland on February 7 He died later on February 12 1983 having become one of the most important figures in early 20thcentury African American music and a major contributor to ragtime and early jazz music and culture Blake began his musical journey at age four playing a pump organ At fifteen he became a professional musician playing ragtime songs in a brothel In 1905 he moved to New York City where he asked Will Cook to assist him in promoting his first song Sounds of Africa When a buyer offered 100 Blake was elevated to the status of a professional songwriter Although negotiations between Blake and the buyer ended without a sale the song was later renamed The Charleston Rag Blake returned to Baltimore where he performed with C Luckeyeth Roberts and James Johnson In 1910 he married Avis Lee a classical pianist Four years later he published his first song Chevy Chase In 1915 he met his longtime song writing partner Noble Sissle with whom he wrote a hit song for singer Sophie Tucker Its All Your Fault Blake and Sissle collaborated to create Shuffle Along the first allblack musical hit on Broadway The show and its hit songs Im Just Wild about Harry and Love Will Find a Way were so popular that in 1921 the show was performed by three different touring companies Blake also created some shows on his own including Swing It and Blackbirds When ragtime faded in popularity by the early 1920s Blake shifted to jazz and performed continuously until 1946 when he took a twentythree year hiatus from show business He returned in 1969 at the age of 86 Blake toured the world playing piano and giving lectures on ragtime music and helped promote the ragtime revival of the 1970s which partly grew out of the popularity of the Robert Redford film The Sting Eubie Blake gave talks and performed his music well into his nineties In 1979 the musical Eubie was created from his work Blake himself made several cameo appearances in performances across the United States Eubie Blake passed away in New York City shortly after his 100th birthday bio from wwwblackpastorg