Blind Tom Wiggins: Slave Pianist & Autistic Savant

www.blindtom.org presents one of the nineteenth century's most famous and perplexing pianists. Born a slave in Georgia, Blind Tom died an international celebrity in 1908. He had an encyclopedic memory, all-consuming passion for music and mind boggling capacity to imitate - both verbally and musically - any sound he heard. These extraordinary savant powers rocketed him to fame and made his name a household word, a byword for eccentric, oddball genius.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• blackface
• minstrels
• Blind Tom
• Blind Tom Wiggins
• Civil War
• Gottschalk
• Ballad of Blind Tom
• slavery
• battle of Manassas
• Rain Storm
• descriptive piano

[SassorMcJames]

How ridiiculous to say he has autism!

[didjryan]

@SassorMcJames Why ridiculous? You think he wasn't?

[SassorMcJames]

@didjryan Hi. Thanks for your polite answer. My comment wasn't all that polite I realise now. Sorry. Autism didn't exist until the 1930's. I believe that it actually didn't exist although some will argue that it wasn't 'discovered' or given a name until then. That must mean that he wasn't diagnosed until after his death. diagnosing a dead person with autism is speculation to say the least. Why does anyone say that he has autism? On what grounds?

[didjryan]

@SassorMcJames Ok, it's an historical anachronism to call him "autistic" and yes historical diagnosis are a imperfect science. I hesitate to use the words his 19th century contemporaries used to describe him because they were so cruel and brutal. As for evidence of his 'autism', get "The Ballad of Blind Tom" out from the library and decide for yourself.

[redeyedol]

Blind Tom, you are one of my biggest inspirations.

[genia106]

I enjoyed this very much and his music was beautiful. Thank you.

[HerAeolianHarp]

This is just amazing and powerful, full stop. Thank you.

[MicroWonders]

@ChiTown7721 I'm afraid he wouldn't have benefited either way. He was held in "legal" slavery before and well after the Civil War. The Bethunes, his owners (managers in "legal" terms), controlled virtually 100% of his profits aside from expenses in court battles, while he and his biological family lived and died penniless...

Shortly after his gift was discovered, he was eventually separated from his family indefinitely.

[depplelk]

Those of use who are well-trained in Autism and have worked for years with this population can spot the attributes in a second, and in all likelihood, Tom was.

[DritonGusia]

@SassorMcJames whats wrong with autism?

[ZebrasRuleTheWorld01]

@SassorMcJames Blind Tom was a savant. Look it up.

[ChiTown7721]

I so wish Blind Tom would have lived long enough to make some actual recordings so we could have had his amazing abilities on record forever. If I could choose to go back in time to see some of the great musicians of the past, he would be one of my top choices, along with Art Tatum and Charlie Parker.

[SteinwayMan13]

There are tons of great Composers that were forgotten who's music was just as great.....Only because they didn't grow up in the right circumstance........Only after there death will they be discovered.......