Press Play with Madeleine Brand
The Story of Blind Tom Wiggins
Who was the most famous pianist of the 19th century? Was it Franz Liszt or Anton Rubinstein or Frederic Chopin? Actually, it may have been “Blind Tom” Wiggins, a black slave born on a Georgia plantation in 1849. His owner discovered that Blind Tom was a piano prodigy who could immediately play back any song he heard.
By Madeleine Brand • • 1 min readWho was the most famous pianist of the 19th century? Was it Franz Liszt or Anton Rubinstein or Frederic Chopin? Actually, it may have been “Blind Tom” Wiggins, a black slave born on a Georgia plantation in 1849. His owner discovered that Blind Tom was a piano prodigy who could immediately play back any song he heard. Bethune put Tom out on tour when he was still a child, and, at age 10, Tom was the first African American to perform at the White House.
