Message Board Archive: Thread Number 17

Hello, All,

I recently saw Ernie Hawkins play and he mentioned that Blind Blake was
from Pittsburgh originally. Anybody know anything about that?

Date: Mon, 25 Aug 1997 08:55:21 -0400
From: ari@secondmind.com (Ari Eisinger)
Subject: Disagree: Don't think so
Message Number: 17.1

In the sense that anything's possible, it's possible, but I really don't
think so. I've never seen anything to that effect, and I don't remember
having read about any documentation of Blake's birth being found by
anyone. I don't think it's known where he came from.
Why does Ernie say he thinks Blake is from Pittsburgh? (Everyone knows
Blake's really from my town--born in my apartment as a matter of
fact.;}) If there's any evidence that Blake is from Pittsburgh, please
post it. I wanna know!
Thanks alot for writing about one of my two all-time favorites!

Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 17:09:00 -0400
From: Owner-HyperNews@ComCAT.COM
Subject: Feedback: You're probably right
Message Number: 17.1.1

Maybe Ernie was just pulling our collective leg. It's hard to tell with
him sometimes...I'll ask him about it next time I see him and post any
significant info that sheds any light on this "...great big mystery and
it sure does worry me..." Ernie may just say: "Diddie-wah-diddie!"

Date: Fri, 5 Sep 1997 17:59:36 -0400
From: tdelling@uiuc.edu
Subject: Blind Blake was probably not from Pittsburgh
Message Number: 17.2

The only information about where Blind Blake was from is
contained in an advertisement which originally ran in the
black newspaper _The Chicago Defender_.  It states that
Arthur Blake was from sunny Jacksonville, Florida.