Anderson@Large

Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins (1849–1908)

From the self-emancipated march to freedom to the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, music has been vital to the Black experience.

As Black Music Month comes to a close, I want to highlight Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins.

From Blackpast.org:

Thomas Greene Wiggins was born May 25, 1849 to Mungo and Charity Wiggins, slaves on a Georgia plantation. He was blind and autistic but a musical genius with a phenomenal memory. In 1850 Tom, his parents, and two brothers were sold to James Neil Bethune, a lawyer and newspaper editor in Columbus, Georgia. Young Tom was fascinated by music and other sounds, and could pick out tunes on the piano by the age of four. He made his concert debut at eight, performing in Atlanta. In 1858 Tom was hired out as a slave-musician, at a price of $15,000.

In 1859, at the age of 10, he became the first African American performer to play at the White House when he gave a concert before President James Buchanan.

The musical phenomenon is memorialized in Elton John’s “The Ballad of Blind Tom.”

Lee Morgan Birthday Celebration

Legendary jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan was born on July 10, 1938 in Philadelphia. To commemorate Lee’s heavenly birthday, All That Philly Jazz and the Free Library of Philadelphia are cohosting a community celebration.

The community is invited to share memories of Lee Morgan, West Philly’s famed commercial and entertainment district, “the Strip,” and the Aqua Lounge.

The Aqua Lounge is where Lee gave his last hometown performance before his tragic death four months later. Lee’s state historical marker will be installed in front of the former location of the jazz club (Date TBA).

The community celebration will be held on Monday, July 10, 2-4pm, at the Lucien E. Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Library, 125 S 52nd St. To register for the free event, please go here.

Black Music Month 2023

In 1979, President Carter proclaimed June as “Black Music Month.” Every president since Bill Clinton has continued the tradition, including President Joe Biden. In his 2023 proclamation Biden said:

During Black Music Month, we pay homage to legends of American music, who have composed the soundtrack of American life. Their creativity has given rise to distinctly American art forms that influence contemporary music worldwide and sing to the soul of the American experience.

I want to kick off African American Music Month by sharing NEA National Heritage Fellow’s tribute to one such legend, soul singer and songwriter William Bell. The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts.