One of my favorite movies is “Ghost” and my favorite scene from the movie is the pottery scene with Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. The mood, the visuals, and of course the music, “Unchained Melody” sung by the Righteous Brothers the only audio makes the scene, one of the most romantic movie scenes ever! What has that got to do with Blind History? Read on.
“Unchained Melody” was first recorded by Al Hibbler in 1955. The song, written by Alex North for the film “Unchained” and the lyrics added by Hy Zaret. Al Hibbler’s version made the top 10 Billboard Chart that year. (Al Hibbler’s music can be found today on Amazon and YouTube.)
A Pioneering Music Career
Albert “Al” Hibbler (1915–2001) was born in Mississippi, the grandson of slaves. He and a younger brother Hubert were born blind. As children of sharecroppers, Al and Hubert picked cotton along with the rest of the family at a young age. After the family moved to Arkansas, the blind brothers were sent to the Arkansas School for the Colored Blind when Al was about 14 years old. He and his brother still lived in Little Rock at the school in 1936 even though their family had long moved back to Mississippi.
The school for the Colored Blind, located at W 11th and Battery St, stressed music. Al sang in the choir. The school was in “Blissville,” the thriving Black community of Little Rock. Many Black owned barber shops, restaurants, pharmacies, and clubs lined W 9th Street. Black operated fraternities developed and supported the community including providing insurance and funerals.
Al never graduated from the school for the blind. A promoter discovered Al singing in the small clubs around the school and got him several auditions with band leaders coming into Little Rock. Al took voice classes at the New England Conservatory of Music in 1935-1936 for two terms with financial help from a local businessman.
In 1936-1938, he became the first Black person to have a radio program of his own. He whistled and sang “Star Dust” at 7:45 p.m. daily on KGHI in Little Rock.
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Go here to read more of Mr. Hibbler’s life and activism:
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