Personal and later life Eubie Blake

blake receiving presidential medal of freedom ronald reagan (1981)

in july 1910, blake married avis elizabeth cecelia lee (1881–1938), proposing in chauffeur-driven car hired. blake , lee met around 1895, when both attended primary school no. 2, @ 200 east street in baltimore. in 1910, blake brought newlywed atlantic city, new jersey, had found employment @ boathouse nightclub.

in 1938, avis diagnosed tuberculosis. died later year, @ age of 58. of loss, blake said, in life never knew alone. @ first when avis got sick, thought had cold, when time passed , didn’t better, made go doctor , found out had tb … suppose knew when found out had tb, understood matter of time.

while serving bandleader united service organizations (uso) during world war ii, met marion grant tyler (1896-1982), widow of violinist willy tyler. blake , tyler married in 1945. performer , businesswoman , became valued business manager until death in 1982. in 1946, blake s career winding down, enrolled in new york university, graduating in 2 , half years. later music career revived, culminating in hit broadway musical, eubie!.

in 1950s, interest in ragtime revived , blake, 1 of last surviving artists, found himself launching yet career ragtime artist, music historian, , educator. signed recording deals 20th century records , columbia records, lectured , gave interviews @ major colleges , universities on world, , appeared performer , clinician @ top jazz , rag festivals.

blake frequent guest of tonight show starring johnny carson , merv griffin. featured leading conductors, such leonard bernstein , arthur fiedler. in 1977 played williams in jeremy kagan biographical film scott joplin. 1975, had been awarded honorary doctorates rutgers, new england conservatory, university of maryland, morgan state university, pratt institute, brooklyn college, , dartmouth. on october 9, 1981, received presidential medal of freedom, awarded president ronald reagan.

eubie!, revue featuring music of blake, lyrics noble sissle, andy razaf, johnny brandon, f. e. miller, , jim europe, opened on broadway in 1978. show hit @ ambassador theatre, ran 439 performances. production received 3 nominations tony awards, including 1 blake s score. show filmed in 1981 original cast members, including lesley dockery, gregory hines , maurice hines. blake performed gregory hines on television program saturday night live on march 10, 1979.