William Turk (1866 – 1911)[1] was an American ragtime pianist. He was reputably so obese that he could not put his left hand in front of his stomach, so he invented techniques playing with his left hand to the side.[2]

Eubie Blake claimed to have heard Turk playing in 1896 in Baltimore, in a style then known as "sixteen", which Blake said was later renamed "boogie woogie".[3] Blake also stated that Turk "had a left hand like God".[1][2]

References

  1. 1 2 Dodge, Timothy (2019). Rhythm and Blues Goes Calypso. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 118. ISBN 9781498530996 – via Google Books.
  2. 1 2 Spencer, Frederick J. (2002). Jazz and Death: Medical Profiles of Jazz Greats. University Press of Mississippi. p. 93. ISBN 9781604736335 – via Google Books.
  3. ↑ Birnbaum, Larry (2013). Before Elvis: The Prehistory of Rock 'n' Roll. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 97. ISBN 9780810886384 – via Google Books.


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