Conflicting sources list this man's birthplace as Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas, but he always claimed Como, Miss. Little is known about his early childhood; only that he was born blind and, in 1925 when he was around 10, his family moved to Dell (Mississippi County), Ark. Four years later, his parents sent him to the Colored Department for the Blind, a segregated school for blind black children in Little Rock. His teachers soon realized he had perfect pitch, singing in the school choir with a beautiful soprano voice, which later developed into a rich, smooth baritone.
He became the first black person to host a radio program in Little Rock and sang with various touring bands that came to the city. In 1935, he auditioned for the Duke Ellington Band at Dreamland Ballroom. After impressing the audience and Ellington, he celebrated by getting drunk. The next day, Ellington told him he wasn't ready to join the band. "I can handle a blind man, but not a blind drunk," he later quoted Ellington as saying. After working with another band, he got a second chance with Ellington and joined the band in 1943.
He spent eight years with Ellington, recording hits like "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me," "Trees," and "Danny Boy." In 1947, he received Esquire magazine's coveted New Star Award for Male Singer and the Down Beat award for Best Band Vocalist in 1949.
After leaving Ellington in 1951 over a salary dispute, he launched a solo career. In 1955, he recorded his biggest hit, "Unchained Melody."
He became involved in the civil rights movement and his career ebbed. In 1961, Frank Sinatra signed him as one of his first solo artists on his new Reprise Records label. Sinatra called him and Ray Charles his "two ace pilots."
Who was this talented blind singer from Arkansas?
Style on 06/07/2020