Have you ever heard of Art Tatum?  Probably not.  Tatum was unquestionably the greatest jazz pianist of all time — the Louis Armstrong of the keyboards.  Tatum’s talent made other pianists shake their heads in wonder and envy.  Vince Guaraldi (of “Charlie Brown’s Christmas” fame) is said to have considered quiting the piano after seeing Tatum play.

So why is Tatum’s memory limited to hardcore jazz fans?  Why didn’t his fame and success extend to the general public like that of Armstrong or Charlie Parker?  Because he failed to share his humanity.  According to Wall Street Journal drama critic Terry Teachout, “Tatum violated a cardinal rule of the performing artist: He made it look too easy. Just as most of us prefer to watch a trapeze artist work without a net, we like to be absolutely sure a virtuoso is giving us our money’s worth, and a seemingly effortless performance, no matter how spectacular, deprives us of that slightly sadistic thrill.”

Teachout notes that technically-perfect dancer Fred Astaire overcame the same issue with a personal charm that endeared him to audiences.  Not Tatum.  He gave very few interviews and was extremely tight-lipped about his personal life and art.  The public knew very little about Tatum beyond his love for Pabst Blue Ribbon and baseball.

The lesson for talk-media performers: Share yourself with the audience.  Talk about your life, passions and loved ones.  Don’t be afraid to make a mistake — or laugh at yourself.   If you want to build powerful emotional bonds with humans, you gotta be, well, human.