Walter Meyer asked about Thomas Bethune.

Grove says:

   "Bethune (Green), Thomas [Blind Tom] (b Columbus, Georgia, 25 May
   1849; d Hoboken, NJ, 13 June 1908).  Black American pianist and
   composer.  A blind, self-taught musician, born a slave, he began
   to compose when he was five, and produced over 100 piano and vocal
   pieces.  He improvised variations on operatic tunes and popular
   ballads, and he was said to be able to reproduce difficult pieces
   after a single hearing.  At the age of eight, he was first exhibited
   by his master, James Bethune; thereafter he appeared for several
   decades in the USA and Europe, making a fortune for Bethune, who
   became his guardian-manager after emancipation."

A short bibliography follows.

Richard Pennycuick
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