On Wednesday 1 October 2025, the Trinidad and Tobago High Commission joined celebrations in London to honour Winifred Atwell, the internationally acclaimed pianist, with an English Heritage Blue Plaque at 18 Bourdon Street, Mayfair. This location was significant as Atwell lived there during her remarkable career in the 1950s and 60s with her husband and manager, Lew Levisohn. It was the home of her Steinway concert grand and her signature upright piano, known for its deliberate out-of-tune sound.
Born in Tunapuna, Trinidad, around 1910, Winifred Atwell was a trailblazer in music, becoming the first black artist to reach the top of the UK charts. She spent 117 weeks on the British pop charts from 1952 to 1960, made over 100 BBC radio appearances, and hosted her own television shows. Her iconic performance of the ‘Black and White Rag’ became the theme for the BBC snooker programme Pot Black.
YolanDa Brown, musician and member of the English Heritage blue plaques panel, praised Atwell’s impact, calling her a true trailblazer who broke racial and musical barriers in Britain. Pianist Jools Holland emphasised her influence on the British music scene and her role as an inspiration to many artists. Beyond music, Atwell was also an entrepreneur, launching one of the UKs first salons for black women and developing beauty products, inspiring the Caribbean diaspora in Britain and Australia.
