"People always ask me—the first thing—how a man of my age can go on traveling and performing at this pace. They say it's unusual for a ninety-six-year-old man to keep on going this way. All I can say is that I don't know any other way to do. I'm not just going to look at those numbers, '9' and '6,' and tell myself I can't play any more." - Eubie Blake
Eubie was born James Hubert Blake on February 7, 1887, in Baltimore, Maryland. At around age five, he showed an extraordinary ability to play the pump organ when he randomly started doing so in a music store. The store manager told Eubie's mother, "He's a genius! Buy him an organ." His mother replied, "I don't want him to be a musicianer; I want him to be a preacher."
However, Eubie's parents heeded the advice within a few days and began providing their young son with a nurturing environment to foster his musical talents. They purchased a $75 pump organ for him, which they paid off at 25 cents a week. Shortly after the purchase, a musician neighbor became Eubie's first music teacher.
Eubie's musical talent evolved into a professional career that started with ragtime, a genre characterized by syncopated rhythms and lively melodies. He performed in vaudeville theaters and nightclubs, gaining a reputation for his energetic and innovative piano style. This exposure helped him connect with other musicians and further hone his craft.
In 1915, Eubie's career took a significant turn when he met Noble Sissle, a singer and lyricist. They formed a partnership that would become one of the most fruitful collaborations in American musical theater history. But their early years were filled with struggle, including spending five years raising money for a Broadway musical. When they finally did raise the money and the show, "Shuffle Along," debuted in 1921, it was groundbreaking, running for 504 performances. The show's success would open doors for black Americans to perform and compose in new musical roles. And the show's songs became classics. One of them was even used by Harry Truman in his Presidential campaign about a decade and a half later.
Eubie's career continued to flourish throughout the 1920s and 30s. He composed music for numerous Broadway shows and films, often working with other notable figures. When audiences' musical tastes changed, Eubie adapted to the new desires, embracing new sounds of jazz and swing and incorporating elements of these genres into his compositions. This versatility allowed him to navigate the shifting musical landscape. It also helped that Eubie was charming and charismatic as a performer, endearing him to audiences.
In the latter part of his life, Eubie experienced a resurgence of interest in his work, particularly during the ragtime revival of the 1970s. He continued captivating audiences with his still-vibrant performances well into his 90s.
Sources:
Blake, Eubie, and Eileen Southern. “A Legend in His Own Lifetime.” The Black Perspective in Music, vol. 1, no. 1, 1973, pp. 50–59. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1214125. Accessed 24 July 2024.
“Eubie Blake.” Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200038834/
Rose, Al. Eubie Blake. New York, Schirmer Books, 1979.
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Jean Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference Division, The New York Public Library. "Eubie Blake, Musician." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1923. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47df-75b4-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99
“Shuffle Along: The Musical at the Center of the Harlem Renaissance.” Kennedy Center, https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/media-and-interactives/interactives/drop-me-off-in-harlem/theme-and-variations/shuffle-along/