Charles H. Hunter (1876-1906)
Last updated: 02.09.24
According to the Internet source given below, Charles H. Hunter was a blind white American pioneer ragtime pianist and composer. Born almost totally blind in Columbia, Tennessee, he trained as a piano tuner at the Nashville School for the Blind and then worked at Jesse French Piano Company, also in Nashville, in that trade. Being a self-taught pianist he readily assimilated the Nashville simple country folk music into his compositions without any "classical" graces and ornamentation. His employers sent him to St Louis in 1902 where, very much like Louis Chauvin, he lead a dissolute life ultimately quitting his job to spend all his time in a life of wine, woman and ragtime. Only just before his untimely death did he attempt to reform himself and married late in 1905. Just six weeks later he died of tuberculosis shortly before his 30th birthday. His last work was the hopelessly optimistic "Back to Life" which was acquired surprisingly by the New York publisher, Charles K. Harris.
| Websites: | |||
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Charles H. Hunter | Biography and list of works by "Perfessor" Bill Edwards |
| Title | Co-Author(s) | Sequencer |
|---|
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Back to Life (1905) | Sakae Watanabe | |
|
Cotton Bolls (1901) | Sakae Watanabe | |
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Just Ask Me (1902) | Colin D. McDonald | |
|
Possum and Taters (1900) | Sakae Watanabe | |
|
Queen of Love (1901) | Sakae Watanabe | |
|
Tennessee Tantalizer (1900), A | Sakae Watanabe | |
|
Tickled to Death (1899) | Sakae Watanabe | |
|
Why We Smile (1903) | Colin D. McDonald |
| Title (Release Year) | Performers | Instruments |
|---|
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Back to Life (1905) | Midi Ragtime Recorder Ens. | A/T/T/T/B/GB(B) |
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Back to Life (1905) | Midi Ragtime Recorder Ens. | A/T/B |
|
Cotton Bolls (1901) | Midi Ragtime Recorder Ens. | A/T/T+S/B/GB(B) |
|
Just Ask Me (1902) | Midi Ragtime Recorder Ens. | A(T)/T/T/T+B/B/GB(B) |
|
Possum and Taters (1900) | Midi Ragtime Recorder Ens. | T/T/T/B/GB(B) |
|
Possum and Taters (1900) | Midi Ragtime Recorder Ens. | T/T/B |
|
Queen of Love (1901) | Midi Ragtime Recorder Ens. | D/A/T/T/B/GB(B) |
|
Tennessee Tantalizer (1900), A | Midi Ragtime Recorder Ens. | A/T/T/B/GB(B) |
|
Tickled to Death (1899) | Midi Ragtime Recorder Ens. | A/T/T/B/GB(B) |
|
Why We Smile (1903) | Midi Ragtime Recorder Ens. | A(T)/T/T/B/GB(B) |
| Performer | CD Title | Supplier |
|---|
| Brass Music CDs: | |||
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Eastern Brass Quintet | Ragtime |       |
| Ragtime Music CDs: | |||
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Various Artists | Piano Music In America 1900-1945 | |
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Various Artists | Pianola Ragtime: Early Piano Jazz and Ragtime Played on Pianola Rolls: Vol. 2 | CD(s) & MP3 Album(s)  |
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New Orleans Ragtime Orchestra | Creole Belles | CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) |
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David Thomas Roberts | Folk Ragtime 1899-1914 | |
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Jenks/Grinstead | Ragtime Bigtime | |
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Ophelia Ragtime Orchestra | Echoes from the Snowball Club | |
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Miguel Pineda-Van Gelder | A Ragtime Feast: Forgotten Rags | |
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Pickles and Peaches Ragtime Orchestra | Picnics | |
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Ralph Press | The Great American Ragtime Revival/with Sound Effects | CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) |
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⇑Trebor Jay Tichenor | The Tichenor Family Trio | |
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Richard Egan | From the Land of Ragtime | |
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Evergreen Ragtime Trio | It's a Rouser | |
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John Roache | Syncopated Odyssey | |
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Sue Keller | Rag Time Sue | |
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Jon Weaver | Those Long Gone Dog Gone Nashville Rags | CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) |
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Jack Bradshaw | Takes Two [Ragtime Piano Duos] | |
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Frederick Hodges | Kitten on the Keys: Ragtime, Novelty & Stride Classics | |
|
Bill Edwards | The Rag's the Thing |
| Item | Title | Available | € | £ | $ | Other |
|---|
| DBE691 | Back to Life (1905) - Rag Time March & Two Step A/T/T/T/B/GB(B), approx. 3 mins. |
1-2 days |  |
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| DBE691C | Back to Life (1905) - Rag Time March & Two Step A/T/B, approx. 3 mins. |
1-2 days | |
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| DBE692 | Cotton Bolls (1901) - Two Step A/T/T+S/B/GB(B), approx. 3½ mins. |
1-2 days | |
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| DBE693 | Just Ask Me (1902) - A Ragtime Two Step A(T)/T/T/T+B/B/GB(B), approx. 3 mins. |
1-2 days | |
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| DBE694 | Possum and Taters (1900) - A Ragtime Feast T/T/T/B/GB(B), approx. 3½ mins. |
1-2 days | |
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| DBE694C | Possum and Taters (1900) - A Ragtime Feast T/T/B, approx. 3½ mins. |
1-2 days | |
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| DBE695 | Queen of Love (1901) - Two Step D/A/T/T/B/GB(B), approx. 4¾ mins. |
1-2 days | |
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| ⇑DBE697 | A Tennessee Tantalizer (1900) - A Ragtime Tickler A/T/T/B/GB(B), approx. 2½ mins. |
1-2 days | |
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| DBE698 | Tickled to Death (1899) - Rag Time March and Two Step A/T/T/B/GB(B), approx. 2¾ mins. |
1-2 days | |
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| DBE699 | Why We Smile (1903) A(T)/T/T/B/GB(B), approx. 3 mins. |
1-2 days | |
| Title | Instruments | Remarks |
|---|
| Title | Attribution | Instruments | Source | Remarks |
|---|
 |
Back to Life : (1905) | C.H. Hunter (music) | Piano, Voice | Indiana |  |
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Cotton Bolls (1901) | C.H. Hunter (music) | Piano | IMSLP | |
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Possum and Taters (1900) | C.H. Hunter (music) | Piano | IMSLP | |
|
Queen of Love (1901) | C.H. Hunter (music) | Piano | IMSLP | Pub. |
|
Tennessee Tantalizer (1900), A | C.H. Hunter (music) | Piano | IMSLP | Pub. |
|
Tickled to Death (1899) | C.H. Hunter (music) | Piano | IMSLP | |
This list is arranged in chronological order and contains 9 works by Charles H. Hunter (1876-1906).
It does not claim to be complete and represents only the number of items located. Keys: ER
| Title | Year | Attribution | Remarks |
|---|
| Tickled to Death | 1899 | Midi Ragtime Recorder Ensemble (perf.) | |
| Possum and Taters | 1900 | Midi Ragtime Recorder Ensemble (perf.) | |
| Tennessee Tantalizer, A | 1900 | Midi Ragtime Recorder Ensemble (perf.) | Pub. |
| Cotton Bolls | 1901 | Midi Ragtime Recorder Ensemble (perf.) | |
| Queen of Love | 1901 | Midi Ragtime Recorder Ensemble (perf.) | Pub. |
| Just Ask Me | 1902 | Midi Ragtime Recorder Ensemble (perf.) | Pub. |
| Why We Smile | 1903 | Midi Ragtime Recorder Ensemble (perf.) | Pub. |
| Back to Life | 1905 | Midi Ragtime Recorder Ensemble (perf.) |  |
| Seraphine Waltzes | 1905 | |