Bland, James Allen 22.oct.1854-5.may.1911 USA NY, Flushing - Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (tuberculosis)
minstrel singer, banjoist, songwriter, of African descent, c1862 he moved with his parents to Washington DC, educated in the Washington public schools, 1873 graduated in law from Howard University in Washington DC, self-taught in music, 1875 joined the colored minstrel troupe the Original Black Diamonds of Boston, 30.jul.1881 performed with Haverley's Genuine Colored Minstrels at Her Majesty's Theatre in London, because of his huge success in England he returned to the US no earlier than 1890 at the peak of his fame, in the US his fame soon declined because he was no longer the dazzling entertainer and the black minstrel era was nearing the end, spent his last years as hotel servant in Philadelphia, he died in poverty and was buried in an unmarked grave ; son of schoolteacher/Patent Office examiner Allen M Bland (SC, Charleston 1833-) and Lydia 'Lilly' (Delaware 1834-)