Minneapolis: Challenge Productions, 1979. SIGNED first edition - Book 1 covers "Tom's childhood to his legal enslavement in 1865" - that is, it is an account of the earliest years of his exploitation by General Bethune, the slave owner who recognized Blind Tom's musical abilities, gave him access to a piano, but soon exploited him. "He hired out 'Blind Tom' from the age of eight years to concert promoter Perry Oliver, who toured him extensively in the US, performing as often as four times a day and earning Oliver and Bethune up to $100,000 a year, an enormous sum for the time, (equivalent to $1.5 million/year in 2004), making Blind Tom undoubtedly the nineteenth century's most highly compensated pianist. General Bethune's family eventually made a fortune estimated at $750,000 at the hands of Blind Tom. Oliver marketed Tom as a 'Barnum-style freak' advertising the transformation from animal to artist. In the media, Tom was frequently compared to a bear, baboon, or mastiff. (Wikipedia). While 'slavery' was supposedly abolished in 1865, Blind Tom remained bound to his "guardians" who continued to exploit him. Includes an introduction by Dr. Samuel A. Floyd, Jr. INSCRIBED by Southall on the title page, and also initialled underneath her photograph on the back cover. Extensive bibliographical notes, appendices. xx, 108 pp.