Eubie Blake (b. February 7, 1887, Baltimore, Maryland, USA – d. February 12, 1983, Brooklyn, New York, USA) claimed he wrote his first song, “The Charleston Rag” (originally titled “Sounds of Africa”) at the age of 12 in 1899 but didn’t write it on paper until 1915. Over his lifetime, he wrote over 350 songs. In 1912, he accompanied Vernon and Irene Castle’s ballroom act with Jame Rees Europe’s Society Orchestra playing ragtime. After World War 1, he teamed up with vaudeville singer Noble Sissle, and was a songwriter for Broadway shows in the 1920s, sometimes with Sissle. Their music revue, Shuffle Along, in 1921 was the first hit musical on Broadway about and written by African Americans. His career stalled after the early 30s, but he was rediscovered in 1969 after which he recorded the double LP “The Eighty-Six Years of Eubie Blake.” For the rest of his life, he was a popular performer of ragtime-era songs. He was. a guest on late night talk shows and received honorary degrees from many universities. He appeared on Broadway in 1978 for the show “Eubie”, a revue of his work written by Sissle and others.
Subgenre: Advanced Ragtime
Best known work(s): “Charleston Rag,” "Tricky Fingers," "Memories of You."
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