Blake, Eubie

orig. James Hubert Blake

(born Feb. 7, 1883, Baltimore, Md., U.S.—died Feb. 12, 1983, Brooklyn, N.Y.) U.S. songwriter and pianist. He played piano in cafés and brothels as a teenager, and in 1899 he composed his first ragtime song, “Sounds of Africa.” He and his partner, lyricist and vocalist Noble Sissle (1889–1975), were among the first African American performers to appear onstage without minstrel makeup. Their show (1921), which introduced Paul Robeson and Josephine Baker, was among the first musicals written, produced, and directed by African Americans. In 1925 Blake cowrote the score to He achieved his greatest fame when the musical opened on Broadway (1978). He gave his last concert in 1982.

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