[78-L] Blind Blake mystery solved

[warren moorman]

Tom wrote:
"I've...wondered how it was possible for someone to completely fall off the face of the earth and never be heard from again without being Jimmy Hoffa"
 
Actually, Tom, they did finally figure out what caused the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa: pier pressure.  
________________________________
I've always been curious about the death of Blind Blake as well, and had
wondered how it was possible for someone to completely fall off the face of the
earth and never be heard from again without being Jimmy Hoffa.
 
I emailed the magazine and asked if I could either pay them a fee to download the
article or if they could sell me the copy of the magazine with the article about Blake
in it and mail it to me. They were able to do the latter, and the magazine arrived
quickly, about a week later.
 
Much of the information in your link referencing the research of Angela Mack is
also in the magazine article. The article mentions that Blind Blake died of
pulmonary tuberculosis, a poor man's disease, and had been coughing up bright-
red blood for a few days prior to his death. Apparently his condition deteriorated
from there, his wife called an ambulance and he died in the ambulance on the way
to the hospital.
 
He was living ten blocks or so from the recording studio in Milwaukee where he'd
recorded previously, though he'd been in declining health for a number of years.
 
He apparenlty got married sometime around 1932 and had suffered from
recurring health problems thereafter.
 
I wasn't especially surprised that they'd be able to find a death certificate, though
it was interesting that they were able to find a copy of the coroner's report, which
contained more information about Blake and his circumstances at the time of his
death than the death certificate.
 
Hope this helps.
 


________________________________
From: Gregg Kimball <gdkimball at cox.net>
To: 78-L Mail List <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 24, 2011 11:34 AM
Subject: Re: [78-L] Blind Blake mystery solved

This seems to have some of the details:

http://www.sociofocus.com/2011/09/22/finding-arthur-blind-blakes-grave/

Interesting that he was born in Newport News according to the death 
certificate. I assume that the researchers have checked our records here in 
Virginia, although there are annoying gaps in vital statistics records that 
might make that difficult.

Gregg Kimball

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Cary Ginell" <soundthink at live.com>
To: <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 9:44 AM
Subject: [78-L] Blind Blake mystery solved


>
> After much diligent research, a team of blues historians has unearthed 
> pertinent information about blues guitarist Blind Blake's life and death. 
> I haven't seen the article yet, but it shows that Blake died in December 
> 1934 at the age of 38, a fact nobody really knew until now. If anyone has 
> this issue yet, please post details. Blake's life has been a large void in 
> the history of the blues. I'm sure there are a lot of people anxious to 
> find out more about him.
>
> Alex van der Tuuk, Bob Eagle, Rob Ford, Eric LeBlanc and Angela Mack: In 
> Search of Blind Blake - Arthur Blake's death certificate unearthed.- Blues 
> & Rhythm 263 (October 2011), pp. 8-10
>
> Cary Ginell
>
> _______________________________________________
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> 78-L at klickitat.78online.com
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