Black Eyed Pea Reveals Disability: Are Blind Musicians More Talented?

by SodaHead Slideshows Posted 2011/01/18 20:00:00

Related Topics: Soul Music, rapper, People Magazine, Music

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apl.de.ap

The Black Eyed Peas rapper recently revealed to People magazine that he is legally blind. He was diagnosed with the rare disease nystagmus, which involuntarily makes the eye move.

apl.de.ap

The Black Eyed Peas rapper recently revealed to People magazine that he is legally blind. He was diagnosed with the rare disease nystagmus, which involuntarily makes the eye move.
Stevie Wonder

Beloved Motown superstar Stevie Wonder has been blind since shortly after his birth. He has since scooped up 22 Grammy Awards, the most ever awarded to a male solo artist.
Ray Charles

Boundary-crossing soul music genius Ray Charles started to lose his sight at the age of five and went completely blind by the age of seven.
Andrea Boccelli

The Italian tenor and international "crossover" star was born with congenital glaucoma, but became totally blind at age 12 following a soccer accident.
Ronnie Milsap

Born almost completely blind, Milsap became a huge country star in the 1970s and 1980s, with six Grammy Awards and 40 No. 1 hits.
John Kay

John Kay, frontman of the '60s rock band Steppenwolf (right), is legally blind, color blind and sensitive to light, which is why he wears his trademark sunglasses.

Black Eyed Pea Reveals Disability: Are Blind Musicians More Talented?

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	Yes	865 votes	31%
	No	1,397 votes	51%
	Undecided	500 votes	18%

Black Eyed Peas rapper apl.de.ap managed to become a world-renowned, chart-topping, Grammy-winning hip-hop superstar -- all without having full control of his vision.

The 36-year-old recently revealed to People magazine that he is legally blind. He was diagnosed with the rare disease nystagmus, which involuntarily makes the eye move.

However, he now says he's overcome the obstacle.

"I doubted myself for a long time... I'm comfortable not using my vision. I weave around my problems," said the musician, who was born Allan Pineda Lindo Jr.

So many musical geniuses have been blind that we almost wonder if the disability enhances their abilities. From Stevie Wonder to Ray Charles to apl.de.ap, click through our slideshow and let us know: Are blind musicians more talented?

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Yuki ~ ♦Lion King of PHÆT♦ 2011/01/18 23:55:48 (edited)

Yes

+4
It's quite plausible. Being hard of hearing has increased my sensitivity to vibrations-- I can feel when someone is walking behind me. Being blind would certainly increase one's reliance on hearing-- it could give them an edge, albeit one they have to earn.
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Jordyn Casselman 2011/05/25 02:02:52

Yes

of course blind people can be in music im pretty sure the Back Eyed Peas proved that. :)

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TrustMeNever 2011/01/22 19:55:11 (edited)

Undecided

Maybe, maybe not. hard to tell, y'know. Sure, they can't read lyrics, but still they can sing. But who can't? Just listen to somebody who sings or tells the lyrics for you. Listen to some other groups and learn the songs. Who doesn't do that?
On the other hand - BLIND. It means it's hard to know where to stand when singing, if you have special spots, it's like said quite hardto read lyrics. You need to have some skills to learn lyrics without your eyes.

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HendrixFan 2011/01/22 16:21:58

Yes

First of all, I'm not even sure what an apl.de.ap is. Second of all, to compare this guy with Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder is ludicrous. They were real musicians with real talent...this guy is a studio/autotune artist. Not even a comparison...but I do believe that blindness enhances all of the other senses and would increase one's musical acumen.

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Darbé 2011/01/21 22:21:21

Undecided

APL IS IS BUH-LIND!!!!!!??????!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!!

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rustyshackelford 2011/01/21 18:35:54
Jaigo 2011/01/20 07:23:44

No

No it depends on the person themselves, abled-visioned or not. Yes it has more of a "Wow" Factor if the person is blind or even other disabilities but in the end it show that talent is worked on and that anyone and everyone has the ability to be famous or a genius at any particular thing if they work for it.

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dizzy 2011/01/19 23:26:26

Yes

well I know in old times here, in Ireland, young blind boys could obviously not become labourers so where trained to be harpists.. nearly all of the great harpists were blind. So throughout the ages the lack of physical skill have been channelled into the arts, where their sound and touch can overtake the obstacle? Makes sense.

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wtxwoman 2011/01/19 22:52:16

Undecided

I know absolutely nothing about music, but being blind brings out your other senses. So, I can see where this might be the case. There have been some very talented blind musicians. There have also been deaf musicans.

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aazeen 2011/01/19 22:11:56

No

NO

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Jordyn ... to aazeen 2011/05/25 02:05:03

+2
why did u say no?

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aazeen to Jordyn ... 2011/05/25 02:09:46

bc you don't have to be blind to be talented

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BB 2011/01/19 21:50:41

Yes

+1
When you take away one sense the other ones get stronger... So I could believe that if you take away your eyes you could hear more subtlety's in the music.

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scbluesman13 2011/01/19 17:14:54

Yes

+1
Well, if we're going by anecdotal past examples, then I'd have to say probably, yes. But truth is I really don't know, nor am I aware of any scientific studies that would support the claim.

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Christopher Kirchen 2011/01/19 16:41:10

Undecided

Not BECAUSE they're blind, but there are many who are extraordinarily talented; the late Roy Orbison, Ray Charles, there are more.

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wtxwoman to Christo... 2011/01/19 22:56:05

Roy Orbison wasn't blind, just very very nearsighted.

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Christo... to wtxwoman 2011/01/19 23:38:17

Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, there are still more.

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wtxwoman to Christo... 2011/01/20 00:29:42

Oh, I know that. I just wanted you to know RO wasn't blind.

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Manster 2011/01/19 16:11:24

No

No,that doesn't make them any more or less talented! It's their drive to make the most of their God-given love of music,and honing that to the best of their ability that makes one musician more productive than another one!

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Assassin~ Badass Buzz Guru 2011/01/19 15:29:40

Undecided

Possibly....I am not sure about that....but Many people with Nystagmus go on to do great things. My nephew has this and was told he would likely not be able to read well or write, but he recently won a state poetry contest. Dr.'s are all doomsayers.

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Tom 2011/01/19 14:58:32

Undecided

I remain undecided, but find it reasonable.

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My2cents4HeIsPreator 2011/01/19 14:50:05

No

+1
when one sense goes down the others picks up the slack...i think

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My2cent... to My2cent... 2011/01/19 14:50:35

+1
-_- meant to vote 'yes'

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ml210378 2011/01/19 14:27:54

No

Being blind or being left without one sense heightens the others but i don't think a blind musician plays better than one with vision.

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danjac1263 2011/01/19 12:40:51

No

Blind musicians arent more or less talented, they just cant see. This guys hair is kinda funny looking though.

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woodnymph 2011/01/19 11:37:56

Undecided

I think some are and it's not surprising seeing as when you lose one sense the others compensate. So if you're blind you're more likely to have better hearing which must be an advantage if you're a musician.

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olivia 2011/01/19 11:28:48

Undecided

+3
He could be but idk cuz I'm 12 and went to one of there concerts but he had his glasses off

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Mark 2011/01/19 08:51:35

Undecided

I wouldn't say more talented, though it is awesome that there are so many good musicians who are blind. One question, though... Where's Jeff Healey? His song, "Angel Eyes", is better than anything these singers have done in my opinion.

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james to Mark 2011/01/19 11:21:11

+3
Jeff Healey passed away from cancer March 2, 2008

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Mark to james 2011/01/20 11:29:20

I meant "where is he", as in "why isn't he on this list". Just because he died doesn't diminish from how good his music is.

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tncdel 2011/01/19 06:32:30 (edited)

No

More talented than what, than what they would be if they were no longer blind? That makes no sense.

And if you mean are they more talented than musicians able to see, that isn't true. Although there are many excellent blind musicians, there are even more not blind.

Being blind does not impair one's musical ability. But being DEAF does. Yet Beethoven, one of the greatest composers of all time, was deaf. And was unable to hear his own music.

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฿ŁΦẄ Ůя ĜΦĐ 2011/01/19 06:21:54

Yes

they cant see what they play so they gotta see it whit there heart lol so i think they make beter musician :)

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Jeh 2011/01/19 05:57:03

No

Do the deaf make better authors? Some blind musicians are very talented, some not so much so like the guy from Black Eyed Peas. BEP's music makes me want to stab myself in the side of the head with a fork because if I am going cause my ears pain, I should do it to myself.

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danjac1263 to Jeh 2011/01/19 12:43:32

At least they arent a 100 years old like some of the more recent Superbowl acts.

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Jeh to danjac1263 2011/01/20 05:57:56

true, Ohh Janet Jackson, look at the damage your nipple has caused.

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jOkEsOnYoU 2011/01/19 05:51:43

No

Seriously...?

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Raramonstah 2011/01/19 05:33:28

Yes

They most likely are, because of their heightened abilities.

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runningintriangles 2011/01/19 05:18:57

No

+2
No more talented than any other musicians that are devoted to their art form. What an idiotic statement. It's like saying deaf painters are better painters because they're deaf. It's utter nonsense. :|

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Nikki 2011/01/19 04:29:04

No

just by chance a few are talented musicians..

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Press 2011/01/19 04:26:35

No

Being blind doesn't make you more talented it is mearly how much practice you get with music itself. However to reach such levels as ray charles or stevie wonder you have to put in a considerably larger amount of work.

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guroxchan 2011/01/19 04:16:16

Undecided

+1
Yes, blind musicians can be extremely talented...but what the Hell? Black Eyed Peas? You really couldn't use a better example? They are terrible.

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