by Jack A. Batterson

Often overlooked by ragtime historians, John William 'Blind' Boone had a remarkably successful and influential music career that endured for more than forty years. Blind Boone: Missouri's Ragtime Pioneer provides the first full account of the Missouri-born musician's amazing story of overcoming the odds.

Boone's background and his approach to music contributed to his ability to bridge gaps -- gaps between blacks and whites, gaps between popular and classical music, gaps between plantation melodies and rag