A Story Of Blind Tom – One Of The Most Unique And Recognized Musicians Of 19th Century

Thomas Wiggins (Thomas Green Bethune), better known as “Blind Tom, ” had a very interesting life. Blind Tom had no eyesight since birth and was born in the Wiley Edward Jones Plantation in the state of Georgia on May 1849. He and his parents, Domingo and Charity Wiggins, were sold and belonged to James Neil Bethune. Tom was sold at no cost because of his blindness. Due to the slavery tradition of mothers and children retaining the name of the owner, The General changed Thomas Wiggin’s name to Thomas Green Bethune.

Since Thomas was blind, he was useless as a hard labor worker, but he became very interested in piano after listening to Bethune’s daughters playing tunes on it. Tom rapidly acquired impressive ear skills that allowed him to play the piano with ease, granting him permission to play his master’s piano. After the General discovered his talent, he was allowed to live in a room in the family house. Bethune hired several music instructors for Tom. All the teachers were amazed by his talent and how he was able to learn what took several years for a normal student in just one afternoon. Blind Tom began to copy the sounds of the exterior world, improvise, compose and show an incredibly mental capability since a younger age. In just one sitting, he was able to learn Beethoven’s third concerto in one evening by ear and memory. He was able to repeat and imitate conversations since the age of four, although it was difficult for him to express his own opinions and desires.

Blind Tom had a strange habit of speaking in the third person as well. The fact that he had troubles in communicating and never expressed his desires, made him a perfect target to be taken advantage of, and others squeezing the last dime of him. At the age of eight, Bethune hired a concert promoter known as Perry Oliver, who began promoting a “Blind Tom” tour. After paying ($15000) for the rights of representing him, “Blind Tom” began to produce earnings of what was at the time huge amounts of money ($50, 000) a year, becoming the nineteenth century’s best paid pianist. He became known due to his ability to mimic many kinds of sounds and apply them into his music. He became so famous to the point of obtaining a formal invitation to perform in Washington D. C. by the president James Buchanan, becoming the first African American to perform in the White House. Tom’s behavior became eccentric during his performances. He was always challenged by his fans and even those who envied him, to mimic the most difficult pieces that a spectator could play. Not being able to back out of a challenge, he played the pieces back as exact as he would hear them, leaving his audiences in awe and wonder. Others of his unbelievable capacities include playing several pieces of music with each hand while singing a third one in different keys! He was also capable of playing with the keyboard behind his back while facing forward and crossing the hands. Tom usually complemented his recitals by impersonating the voices of public figures and nature sounds. While he was on tour in New York, Georgia seceded from the Union, which caused his manager to schedule events that would raise money for the Confederate cause.

Inspired by the tales and stories he would hear of the war, he composed his piece, “The Battle of Manassas” (his most famous piece). One biographer wrote that Blind Tom's "perfect pitch, hypersensitive clarity, elastic vocal chords, lack of inhibition and total immersion in the world of sound enabled him to re-create a 'harum-scarum' battlefield like no other. " From April 1862 until his death, he played this famous piece in every concert, enjoying the vivid pictures painted by his music, especially the loud canon-like ending. To many of his listeners, especially the southerners, “Battle of Manassas” was interpreted as a demonstration of his loyalty to the Confederacy. Nonetheless, for Blind Tom, this piece was merely for his personal love and enjoyment of music. He never cared much about politics, however most of the earnings from his concerts during this period funded the wounded and sick Confederate soldiers. In 1866, Tom was taken on a European concert tour with exuberant success.

In 1875, General Bethune transferred management of Blind Tom’s to his son John Bethune who accompanied him around the US for eight years. After John Bethune got divorced from his wife, Eliza in 1887, and after several court cases, Blind Tom became under the tutelage of his mother Charity Wiggins (who he barely knew). But Eliza persuaded Tom’s mother to sign and give all the rights of Tom to her. Tom moved to New York and after a month started touring again but now sold as the last slaved set free by court. After he moved to New York, he began performing under his father’s surname (Thomas Greene Wiggins). Tom continued touring until 1904 when he had his first stroke. After this event, he played mostly at home and simulated imaginary receptions for several hours a day. The last years of Tom were spent in Hoboken, New Jersey, where he died of a stroke in June 1908.

To tie everything together, “Blind Tom” was one of the most unique and recognized musicians of his century. Breaking through his hardships, which included blindness and a form of slavery (never known by him), he was able to utilize his musical gifts to touch the hearts of his listeners, but also stir commotion in the political situations of his time. , These disabilities could have hindered him from making it big in the industry but proved otherwise. These facts made his audiences more eager to listen to his content. Although Blind Tom was considered an exemplary musician, it is quite sad how such a huge talent and someone who represented the African American culture is not viewed in this way nowadays.

While doing the assignment, I discovered that there are no original recordings of him or his concerts. The fact that we are only able to know about him and his performances by the comments and articles written by those who claim to have heard him is such a pity.