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Category: Blind Musicians

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American Composers and Musicians from A to Z: H (Part 2 – Hibbler, Albert George “Al”)

Posted by: Gilbert Busch

A brief glimpse at the life of Al Hibbler and some materials relating to him in the NLS Music Collection.

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A Community Music School for Blind and Visually Impaired Students, Part 2

Posted by: Donna Koh

Continued from last week. Part 2 My second day at the school, which was a Saturday, was spent observing private lessons and group classes. Saturday at the school is mostly reserved for the youth programs. I was eager to attend as many lessons as possible and what I saw was fascinating and memorable. I attended …

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American Composers and Musicians from A to Z: G (Part 2–Grasse, Edwin)

Posted by: Lindsay Conway

Welcome to a new installment of the NLS Music Section’s journey through the alphabet to learn about musicians and composers who were blind or visually impaired. In part 2 of the letter G, we'll meet Edwin Grasse and introduce our new violin scores catalog.

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American Composers and Musicians from A to Z: F (Part 2 – Feliciano, José)

Posted by: Juliette Appold

José Feliciano is a guitarist, singer and songwriter best known for his interpretation of the songs “Feliz Navidad,” “Light My Fire” and “Hi-Heel Sneakers.” Feliciano was born blind on September 10, 1945 in Lares, Puerto Rico. At age five, his family moved to New York. José Feliciano always liked music and started playing the harmonica …

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Blind James Campbell and His Nashville Washboard Band

Posted by: Lindsay Conway

“Tennessee, Tennessee, there ain’t no place I’d rather be”–This is the song that we have been singing for the past several weeks here in the Music Section of the National Library Service (along with Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter in their song “Tennessee Jed”).  The NLS national conference in Nashville has now come and gone, …

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American Composers and Musicians from A to Z: E (Part 2 – Eyck, Jacob van)

Posted by: Gilbert Busch

This week we’ll break with our series a bit to discuss the life of a blind musician from outside of the United States. Had someone mentioned a composer named van Eyck to me when I was a child, I might have guessed that he was born before or during World War II. When I heard …

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Nashville Sound: Hargus “Pig” Robbins

Posted by: Lindsay Conway

Hargus “Pig” Robbins might be the most famous piano player you’ve never heard of, though you’ve likely heard his work. The National Conference of Librarians Serving Blind and Physically Handicapped Individuals will begin in a matter of days in Nashville, Tennessee, so today I want to tell you about a musician who is blind and …

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American Composers and Musicians from A to Z: D (Part 2 – Davis, “Blind” John and Dranes, Arizona)

Posted by: Katie Rodda

Blind John Davis Blind John Davis was born in Mississippi in 1913, but moved to Chicago with his family at a young age.  He lost his sight shortly thereafter at age 9. He began to learn the piano as a teen, and later became a regular session musician for famous blues record producer Lester Melrose …