Eddie Tigner

Ed Tigner, Jr. (August 11, 1926 – April 18, 2019), better known as Eddie Tigner, was an American blues pianist, keyboardist, singer, and songwriter. He recorded two albums, both released by Music Maker, and continued to perform on stage each week, despite being in his nineties. He performed standing up at the keyboard latterly, noting "Most keyboard players sit; I can’t anymore. If I sit down to play, I'll go to sleep."

Tigner began military service in 1945 in the United States Army and during his term there learned to play the piano. Tigner was also in charge of booking entertainment for the servicemen. He often travelled to Baltimore to transport Bill Kenny, one of the founding members of the Ink Spots, to perform on the army base at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. Tigner also met T-Bone Walker during this time. Mudcat Dudeck, starting in 1995, continued this organisation, with the money raised supporting a living musician, including Tigner himself in 1998. Nevertheless, two nights before his 89th birthday party, Tigner was in Durham, North Carolina, playing an outdoor concert alongside Albert White and other Music Maker acts. A Northside Tavern regular, Tigner continued each week to play a repertoire which included songs such as "Going Down Slow", "Help Me Make It Through the Night", and "Shake, Rattle and Roll". Despite lung troubles necessitating steering clear of smoke-filled venues, Tigner enjoyed singing and playing at his 92nd birthday at the Northside. He performed standing up at the keyboard latterly, noting "Most keyboard players sit; I can’t anymore. If I sit down to play, I'll go to sleep."

Tigner has been featured in the book Music Makers: Portraits and Songs from the Roots of America (2004), plus the Music Maker documentary film, Toot Blues.

Tigner died on April 18, 2019, at the age of 92.

Discography Year Title Record label 2003 Route 66 Music Maker 2009 Slippin' In Music Maker