James Reese Europe: "On This Day in Phonographic History..."

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"On This Day in Phonographic History..."

 

February 22, 1880: Born: James Reese Europe, first African-American to lead his own band for a major recording

company.

 

May 9, 1919: Died, at the hands of one of his drummers.  "The man who had just come through the baptism of war's fire and steel without a mark had been stabbed by one of his own musicians ... The sun was in the sky. The new day promised peace. But all the suns had gone down for Jim Europe, and Harlem didn't seem the same."  - W.C. Handy. 

 

Europe was granted the first ever public funeral for a black American in the city of New York.

 

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