Eubie Blake in 1980

It was 1980 and a reporter in training shot, wrote, narrated and edited this primitive news story. He mispronounced the name of the first singer, but was able to be a part of a group interview with the late Eubie Blake -- just three years before the music legend died. If there are errors in the narration, please keep in mind that the young reporter was just learning how to do this kind of reporting --- and Al Gore had not yet invented the Internet. By the way, I'm pleased that the daughter of Allyn Ferguson, the founder and conductor of The Orchestra, found this video that includes shots of her late father. She's in the process of assembling all of her father's works, recordings, awards and more. If you know of any material related to him, please let me know and I'll share put you in touch. ---Don Ray donray@donray.com (and, yes, I was that young reporter).

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Eubie Blake
• Kenneth Hahn
• The Orchestra
• Don Ray
• Bilbrew Library
• Andrae Crouch
• Charleston Rag
• ragtime;
• Allyn
• Ferguson

[cetteferge]

Thank you, Don! My son, Adam, also a composer/conductor, found this great clip honoring Eubie Blake, and noticed his gramps, Allyn Ferguson, conducting The Orchestra with Andrae Crouch Singers. What a wonderful memory of some brilliant men!

[guitaress1]

Blake wrote "Shuffle Along", not "Shuffle off to Buffalo"!

[MboyaMusic]

Eubie Blake was born in 1883 not 1887.

[eldude555]

He was 96 here, not 93