Blind Boone, his early life and his achievements

By Melissa Fuell

Subjects: Biography, 19th century black-owned businesses, ragtime music, early American black composers, Composers, Blind musicians

Description: This book is one of the earliest publications of a work done solely by a woman of African descent in the US. Melissa Fuell was employed by the Blind Boone Concert Company as a vocalist. Her duties also included acting as secretary and treasurer for the Company on it's annual tours of the North American continent. Boone Co. manager, John lange, Jr., asked Miss Fuell to compile the history of the Company and it is believed that he financed the publication of the book. Miss Fuell was born in John W. "Blind" Boone's hometown, Warrensburg, Mo., in the early 1880s. Her parents were likely former slaves, as was Boone's mother. Fuell attended the Howard School in Warrensburg(the only school there open to her race at that time), the Geo. R. Smith College in Sedalia, Mo., and eventually graduated from Lincoln Institute(now Lincoln University) in Jefferson City, Mo., with honors. She taught in Joplin, Mo., for several years, married Mr. Charles Cuther there in 196 and became very involved in the Joplin social structure. She was instrumental in getting the George Washington Carver National Monument established in Diamond, Mo., apparently it was her idea to commemorate the place of birth of this famous American scientist. This book contains several pages of notated music which are examples of Boone's abilities as a composer. He was one of America's most popular entertainers, having toured at least the Midwest for 47 years. He died in 1927, six months after retiring from the stage.