@001 Biographies \This section of the program contains biographies of composers and performers of Ragtime
@002 Blake, Eubie \Once a ragtime pianist, James Hubert "Eubie" Blake, b. Baltimore, Md., Feb. 7, 1883, d. Feb. 12, 1983, had a long career in popular music, primarily as a
composer. Together with his longtime vaudeville partner, the songwriter Noble Sissle, Blake wrote the trend-setting musical Shuffle Along (1921), which became the most
successful black show on Broadway, running for 504 performances. Two of his show tunes, "Memories of You" and "I'm Just Wild about Harry," became standards. Although he
continued to work intermittently for many years, he was not "rediscovered" until 1969, when John Hammond produced the album The Eighty-Six Years of Eubie Blake. Blake later
founded a record company and made a biographical film. The musical revue Eubie, featuring 24 of his songs, opened on Broadway in 1978. Five days before his death, Blake's 100th
birthday was celebrated with gala performances of his music at Washington's Kennedy Center--the celebration was later televised nationally. ROGER BAILEY
Bibliography: Blesh, Rudi, Combo, U.S.A.: Eight Lives in Jazz(1971); Kimball, Robert, and Bolcom, William, Reminiscing with Sissle and Blake (1972); Rose, Al, Eubie Blake
(1983).
@003 Cohan, George M. \George Michael Cohan, b. Providence, R.I., July 3, 1878, d. Nov. 5, 1942, was an actor, singer, dancer, playwright, composer, director, and producer. He
dominated the American theater at the beginning of the 20th century.
As a child he appeared in his family's vaudeville act. The Four Cohans. At age 17 he was managing the act and writing vaudeville sketches and songs. His first full-length play,
The Governor's Son, opened in New York in 1901. This fast-paced mixture of popular song, comedy, and melodrama set the standard for subsequent Cohan productions. Little Johnny
Jones (1904) introduced two of Cohan's most enduring songs, "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "Give My Regards to Broadway." Cohan was a patriot; his tunes "You're a Grand Old
Flag" and "Over There" were World War I favorites.
In 1923, Cohan took on a serious role as a second-rate variety performer in The Song and Dance Man. Ten years later he gave what many critics considered the finest performance
of his career as Nat Miller in Eugene O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness! Cohan also appeared as Franklin Roosevelt in I'd Rather Be Right (1937). His autobiography, Twenty Years on
Broadway and the Years It Took to Get There, appeared in 1925. A film (Yankee Doodle Dandy, 1942) and a Broadway musical (George M! 1968) were based on his life. ANDREW KELLY
Bibliography: Ewen, David, Great Men of American Popular Song(1970); McCabe, J., George M. Cohan (1973; repr. 1980); Morehouse, Ward, George M. Cohan: Prince of the
American Theater (1943; repr. 1971).
@004 Hunter, Charles\Biography only available in the full version of Ragtime Pianist
@005 Joplin, Scott\Biography only available in the full version of Ragtime Pianist
@006 Lamb, Joseph\Biography only available in the full version of Ragtime Pianist
@007 Lodge, Henry\Biography only available in the full version of Ragtime Pianist
@008 Marshall, Arthur \Biography only available in the full version of Ragtime Pianist
@009 Matthews, Artie\Biography only available in the full version of Ragtime Pianist
@010 Scott, James \Biography only available in the full version of Ragtime Pianist
@011 Turpin, Thomas\Biography only available in the full version of Ragtime Pianist
@012 Woods, H. Clarence \Biography only available in the full version of Ragtime Pianist
@013 A History of Ragtime (Part 1)\Only available in the full version of Ragtime Pianist
@014 A History of Ragtime (Part 2)\Only available in the full version of Ragtime Pianist
@015 A History of Ragtime (Part 3) \Only available in the full version of Ragtime Pianist
