Blake, Eubie (1883-1983), was an African American composer and pianist whose career lasted more than 80 years. He was still performing at the age of 99.
James Hubert Blake was born on Feb. 7, 1883, in Baltimore, the son of former slaves. He began playing piano at the age of 15, during the period when ragtime–a lively, rhythmic kind of music written chiefly for the piano–first became a national sensation. In 1899, he composed his first successful piece for piano, “Charleston Rag.” He also composed several other rags (pieces of ragtime music) during the early 1900’s, including “Tricky Fingers” (1908) and “Chevy Chase” (1914). In 1915, Blake teamed up with the American songwriter Noble Sissle to form a vaudeville act called the Dixie Duo, performing their own songs. Blake wrote the music and Sissle the lyrics.
Blake and Sissle wrote the music and words for an all-black Broadway musical called Shuffle Along in 1921. The show became a hit and opened the way for later black shows on Broadway. Blake’s score included his most famous song, “I’m Just Wild About Harry.” Blake composed music for several other musicals in the 1920’s and 1930’s, but none was as successful as Shuffle Along. He wrote the hit song “Memories of You” for the musical Blackbirds of 1930.
By the end of the 1930’s, Blake had largely retired from music. A revival of popularity of ragtime in the late 1960’s brought him out of retirement in his 80’s. He recorded a popular album called The 86 Years of Eubie Blake (1969). A Broadway revue called Eubie! (1978), featuring his songs, ran for more than a year. He died on Feb. 12, 1983.
