A large number of activities to bring different aspects of disability history into the curriculum focussing on the way disabled people were treated from 1000 AD to the present day.
Bobby Farrell- ‘the one legged music hall singer’ 1912-2010?
Bobby Farrell lost one leg in an accident in his native Glasgow trick or treating on Hallowe’en 1921 when he was 9. Three years later, after his mother died, he ran away from home, driven out by his drunken father.…
National Survey calls on disabled community to share experiences of access to music services
National Survey calls on disabled community to share experiences of access to music services Hello, I work for Creative United on the Take it away scheme, which offers interest-free loans for musical instruments, equipment, software and tuition, funded by Arts…
Blind Willie Johnson (1897- 1945) American Blues and Gospel Singer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Blind Willie Johnson (January 25, 1897 – September 18, 1945) was an American gospel blues singer and guitarist and evangelist. His landmark recordings completed between 1927 and 1930—thirty songs in total—display a combination of powerful…
Lemon Henry “Blind Lemon” Jefferson (1893 –1929) American blues and gospel singer
Lemon Henry “Blind Lemon” Jefferson (September 24, 1893 – December 19, 1929) was an American blues and gospel singer, songwriter, and musician. He was one of the most popular blues singers of the 1920s and has been called the “Father…
Beethoven (1770-1827) Deaf Composer
Beethoven (1770-1827) Buzzing noises started at around 1796, according to Doctor Marage, who has studied his letters. Deafness broke out in 1798 and Beethoven had lost 60% of his hearing by 1801. In 1816 he was completely deaf. Beethoven was…
Dory Previn (1925-2012) singer songwriter with depression
Dory Previn (born Dorothy Veronica Langan; October 22, 1925 – February 14, 2012) was an American lyricist, singer-songwriter and poet. During the late 1950s and 1960s she was a lyricist on songs intended for motion pictures and, with her then…
Neil Diamond (2141-), Post polio and epilepsy
Neil Young caught polio in Canada the same year as Joni Mitchell. The authorities placed those with the condition in isolation with chains across the door. This is reflected in his standard Helpless https://youtu.be/qOv9nwuC67Y?t=89 . Joni demonstrated solidarity with disabled…
James Victor Chesnutt (1964 – 2009) Spinally injured singer song writer
James Victor Chesnutt (1964 – 2009) Spinally injured singer song writer. Vic Chesnutt was a prolific and unusual songwriter with more than 400 songs to his name. Although in a local rock band in Georgia his talent as a singer…
Disability in Popular Song 2003
Disability in Popular Song My parents always shared their favourite music with us kids. My mother was a fan of string quartets and opera, my father, jazz. So, I don’t know where they got the compilation album Country Classics but…