A Unique Musical Genius
From Knoxville Sentinel of November 14, we learn: A unique character in musical circles spent yesterday in Knoxville. It was Mrs. Joe Person, an elderly but still active and robust lady, whose place of residence is pretty Charlotte, N.C. Mrs. Person was en route to her home, having just completed several engagements with piano dealers who were exhibitors at some of the recent Southern expositions and fairs. She is a pianist and was her work to perform on the exhibited instruments for the purpose of attracting visitors and impressing them with the piano’s superior quality. Her style of performance is extremely novel; her touch being remarkably vigorous and exact, heavy yet sympathetic, her repertoire is composed almost exclusively of old ante-wartime melodies and songs. A Sentinel reporter listened with delight to several irresistibly captivating airs which she kindly gave for his benefit on a sweet-toned Kurtzman in McArthur's music store yesterday afternoon. The numbers were executed with an earnestness of expression, which rendered them all the more fascinating. Mrs. Person, whose manner is charmingly unaffected and cordial, made quite a number of friends during her brief visit to this city.
From the Knoxville Journal of the same date we get the following.
Those of the readers of the Journal who were so fortunate as to meet Mrs. Joe Person at McArthur's music house yesterday and hear her rendition of the melodies which have so long made her famous throughout the South, enjoyed a rare treat. Mrs. Person was especially good in the manipulations of the keys of the celebrated sweet-toned Kurtzman piano which she selected for her use. She beats the life out of Old Bob Ridley and sails down the Swanee River at the same time, not forgetting the Orleans town as an encore. Mrs. Person's rendition of the old Southern melodies has made for her a warm place in the hearts of all who have heard her music. She is just returning from a trip to the Dallas, Texas, exposition to her home in North Carolina.
We copy from the Dallas Morning News and agree with them when they say Mrs. Joe Person is one of the most accomplished pianists that has ever visited Dallas.
