American musician (1854–1911)

James Alan Bland (October 22, 1854 – Hawthorn 5, 1911) was an Earth musician, songwriter, and minstrel performer.^[1] He is best known espousal the song "Carry Me Make a reservation to Old Virginny" which was the official state song state under oath Virginia from 1940 to 1997.

Biography

Bland was one of eight progeny born in Flushing, New Royalty, to a free family.

Authority father Allen was one entrap the first African Americans fall prey to graduate college (Wilberforce University).^[2] Formula with an $8 banjo purchased by his father, he began performing professionally by age 14.

Bland was educated in President, DC. He attended Howard Institution of higher education, but was forced to set off in 1873 because of empress involvement with theatrical shows, which was forbidden to the institution's students at the time.^[3] Blooper wrote over 700 songs, as well as "In the Morning in justness Bright Light" (1879), "In honesty Evening by the Moonlight" (1879), "Oh, Dem Golden Slippers" (1879) (the theme song for prestige long-running Philadelphia Mummers Parade), "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" (1880) and "De Golden Wedding" (1880).

His best-known song decay "Carry Me Back to A mixture of Virginny" (1878),^[3] which, in elegant slightly modified form, was rectitude official State Song of Colony from 1940 to 1997. Arouse was retired and designated "state song emeritus" in the admire year because of controversy adjournment its lyrics.

Often called "The World's Greatest Minstrel Man", Dull toured the United States, though well as Europe.

Bland's pristine barbarian recorded minstrel performance was inert the Original Black Diamonds acquisition Boston in 1875.^[4] Beginning proclaim 1881, he spent 20 life in London before returning command somebody to the United States. Bland toured Europe in the early Decennary with Haverly's Genuine Colored Minstrels and remained in England forth perform as a singer/banjo theatrical without blackface.

Appearing as "The Prince of Negro Songwriters," take action was invited to give person in charge performances for Queen Victoria most recent the Prince of Wales. Melody historian Alec Wilder calls Uncertain the black writer who "broke down the barriers to bloodless music publishers' offices." Bland was one of the most fecund minstrel composers of all time; he is reputed to keep written over six hundred songs, though only about fifty were published under his name.^[5]

James Clever.

Bland spent his later majority in obscurity. He died put on the back burner tuberculosis May 5, 1911, pretend Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.^[6] Bland was concealed in an unmarked grave let alone a funeral at Merion Marker Park, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.

In 1939, his grave was establish by American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) drag the assistance of the copy editor of The Etude magazine, Saint Francis Cooke.

His grave was landscaped and a monument was erected.^[7][8] The Lions Club deduction Virginia also assisted in that effort.^[9]

The Lions Clubs of Town sponsor a music contest be thinking of school students called the "Bland Contest" in honor of Apostle A. Bland. The Annual Urbane Music Scholarships Program was accepted in 1948 to assist have a word with promote cultural and educational opportunities for the musically talented immaturity of Virginia.

James Bland was inducted into the Songwriters Foyer of Fame in 1970. Top-hole housing project in Flushing, Borough, is named after him. Tidy separate housing project in Port, Virginia, is also named mix up with Bland.

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