Nameless and Unremembered

Bill McKemy

Uncover the hidden tales of American music. We delve into the overlooked stories of individuals and events that have influenced American music, revisiting the crucial moments that continue to resonate today.Join host Bill McKemy for a research-driven exploration at the crossroads of history and culture.

Episodes

  1. 11/12/2024

    John Lang Jr. and the Blind Boone Concert Company

    John Lang, Jr. turned Boone's talent into a successful business. The show was among the most successful touring companies of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  https://www.patreon.com/c/NamelessandUnremembered Join our Patreon for updates and exclusive content.

    27 min

  2. 11/05/2024

    The Birth and Early Life of John William Boone

    John William Boone, known by the professional name "Blind" Boone was a classical and ragtime pianist and composer from Missouri. He faced great uncertainty and dangers building a career in the Reconstruction and Jim Crow eras on his way to becoming one of America's most popular touring entertainers. https://www.patreon.com/c/NamelessandUnremembered Join our Patreon for updates and exclusive content.

    25 min
  3. Wilbur Sweatman Part 2

    10/29/2024

    Wilbur Sweatman Part 2

    Sweatman develops his vaudeville act and lands in New York City. He records for numerous record labels and works in music publishing, eventually representing the estate of Scott Joplin. Don't forget to join our Patreon to get access to a playlist for this episode and other exclusive content. https://www.patreon.com/c/NamelessandUnremembered Join our Patreon for updates and exclusive content.

    26 min
  4. Wilbur Sweatman Part 1

    10/22/2024

    Wilbur Sweatman Part 1

    Wilbur Sweatman, b. 1881 in Brunswick, Missouri was an important musician who connects ragtime, vaudeville and itinerant show bands to the birth of jazz. Depending on how one determines what jazz is, he was very likely the first artist to make an audio recording of this emerging style. Comparisons of Sweatman's style to better known O.D.J.B. recordings from the time after the release of Sweatman's 1916 Down Home Rag show them to sound more arranged and scripted, possessing less of the fire and spirit of improvisation found in Sweatman's work. https://www.patreon.com/c/NamelessandUnremembered Join our Patreon for updates and exclusive content.

    24 min
  5. Chigaco and Smith's Legacy

    10/15/2024

    Chigaco and Smith's Legacy

    Part 6 of 6. Smith organizes music groups for the Pullman Railcar Company and youth bands for the Chicago Defender newspaper. He has a work premiered by the St. Louis Symphony. Notable former students abound. https://www.patreon.com/c/NamelessandUnremembered Join our Patreon for updates and exclusive content.

    46 min
  6. N. Clark Smith and Ada Crogman's Pageant

    10/08/2024

    N. Clark Smith and Ada Crogman's Pageant

    Part 5 of 6. After his feud with Booker T. Washington, N. Clark Smith returns to the midwest. He composes an overture and arranges music for the epic pageant "Milestones of a Race," written and directed by Ada Crogman Franklin.  https://www.patreon.com/c/NamelessandUnremembered Join our Patreon for updates and exclusive content.

    54 min
  7. N. Clark Smith at the Tuskegee Institute

    10/01/2024

    N. Clark Smith at the Tuskegee Institute

    Part 4 of 6. N. Clark Smith returns from his 13 month world tour and embraces his future as an educator and composer. This leads him to Wichita, Chicago and eventually the famous Tuskegee Institute and Booker T. Washington.  https://www.patreon.com/c/NamelessandUnremembered Join our Patreon for updates and exclusive content.

    33 min
  8. N. Clark Smith Tours the World

    09/24/2024

    N. Clark Smith Tours the World

    Part 3 of 6. After a few years growing into prominence as a bandleader in Wichita and Kansas City, N. Clark Smith was recruited by Ernest Hogan to lead a youth band on a world tour of the M.B. Curtis All-Star Minstrel Company.  Host Bill McKemy is joined by Toni Gates, Lisa Henry and Rich Wheeler. https://www.patreon.com/c/NamelessandUnremembered Join our Patreon for updates and exclusive content.

    39 min
  9. N. Clark Smith and J.W. "Blind" Boone - 1893 World's Columbian Exposition

    09/17/2024

    N. Clark Smith and J.W. "Blind" Boone - 1893 World's Columbian Exposition

    Part 2 of 6. After venturing away from his hometown of Leavenworth, Kansas, N. Clark Smith began leading a youth band for ragtime legend John William "Blind" Boone. He attends the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition where he brushes shoulders with many of the greatest black composers and political leaders of his time. Host Bill McKemy is joined by Toni Gates, Lisa Henry and Rich Wheeler. https://www.patreon.com/c/NamelessandUnremembered Join our Patreon for updates and exclusive content.

    38 min
  10. N. Clark Smith in Leavenworth, Kansas

    09/10/2024

    N. Clark Smith in Leavenworth, Kansas

    Part 1 of 6 on band leader, composer and educator N. Clark Smith. A prolific but relatively unknown African American musical trailblazer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This episode discusses his family and upbringing in Leavenworth, Kansas from Smith's birth in 1866 through his marriage and departure from Leavenworth in 1890.  Later in the episode, host Bill McKemy is joined by musicians, educators and activists Toni Gates, Lisa Henry and Rich Wheeler. https://www.patreon.com/c/NamelessandUnremembered Join our Patreon for updates and exclusive content.

    29 min
  • 10 Episodes

5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Uncover the hidden tales of American music. We delve into the overlooked stories of individuals and events that have influenced American music, revisiting the crucial moments that continue to resonate today.Join host Bill McKemy for a research-driven exploration at the crossroads of history and culture.

Information

  • Creator
    Bill McKemy
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Nameless and Unremembered
  • Show Website
    Nameless and Unremembered