The Denver Post
Wednesday, September 14, 1955

Child Prodigy
Nebraska Girl, 3, Plays Piano


By RALPH PARTRIDGE
Denver Post Staff Writer

WRAY, Colo., Sept. 14 – A Wray piano teacher said Tuesday she believes she has discovered a child piano prodigy – a three-year old Nebraska girl who plays melodies and “reads” music.

The teacher is Mrs. W. C. Proctor who has taught piano for more than 25 years. The girl is Eunice Lucille Gregory who has never had a lesson.

The girl began picking out simple tunes on the piano before she could talk.

Eunice is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Gregory who live on a farm 17 miles east of Wray, near Haigler, Neb. Her parents say the girl learned to play by listening to the four older Gregory children practice their lessons.

Everyone agrees that Eunice plays by ear; yet she can look at the arrangement of notes on the sheet music and recognize the composition. Blindfolded – or sent to a far corner of the room -- she can listen while someone strikes a note and then return quickly to the piano and strike the same key

Her favorite compositions are “Silent Night,” “Jesus Loves Me,” a simple arrangement of “Country Gardens,” “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean,” and “Monkey Business.” She finishes them with an arpeggio and a crashing chord.

Mrs. Proctor has given lessons to the four other Gregory children – Leah, 15, Leone, 12, Sharon, 10, and Richard, 9. She is now standing by ready to give lessons to Eunice. The girl’s parents, however, are holding off. They don’t want to push Eunice too fast. Mrs. Proctor is cautious but she says: “I believe the child has the makings of a real celebrity in the music world.”

Eunice is unmindful of her talents. She plays because it’s fun and like other girls she has a doll and toy dishes, which occupy her play hours – when she’s not practicing on the piano.