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The Ballad of Blind Tom, Slave Pianist [electronic resource] : America's Lost Musical Genius

O'Connell, Deirdre2019
eBook
Born into slavery in Georgia, Tom Wiggins died an international celebrity in New York in 1908. His life was one of the most bizarre and moving episodes in American history. Born blind and autistic—and therefore unable to work with other slaves—Tom was left to his own devices. He was mesmerized by the music of the family’s young daughters, and by the time he was four, Tom was playing tunes on the piano. Eventually freed from slavery, “Blind Tom” toured the country and the world, dazzling audiences that included celebrities like Mark Twain and the Queen of England. Considered both a genius and a novelty act, Blind Tom embodied contradictions—a star and a freak, freed from slavery yet still under the control of his white guardian. His life offers a window into the culture of celebrity and racism at the turn of the twentieth century. In this rollicking and heartrending book, O’Connell takes us through the life (and three separate deaths) of Blind Tom Wiggins, restoring to the modern reader this unusual yet quintessentially American life.
Imprint:
[Place of publication not identified] : Abrams Press, 2019
Collation:
1 online resource (1 text file)
ISBN:
9781468305951
Language:
English
BRN:
3077768
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