After a bad cataract surgery when he was in his 80s, Henry Stone lost most of his eye sight and had to go to the Miami Lighthouse for The Blind to learn how to deal with it.
As was his nature, Henry made friends with the whole organization and kept them enraptured with his music business stories. There is a scene in Record Man, the movie about Stone’s life and work, where the head of the Lighthouse first realizes who she’s talking to and says, “The man is a giant!”
Today, the Music & Sound Studio In Honor of Henry & Inez Stone serves as proud testament to the impact of his legacy at the Miami Lighthouse for The Blind, where in just a short period he was able to get the studio built and operating. Today, kids and adults alike with sight challenges use it to make great music.
Stone’s picture hangs on the wall of the studio along with an article about him from a recent newspaper that chose him as a Person of The Year.
The plaque is engraved.
The board is ready to record.
The booth is ready for the youth.
There are several work stations and a variety of musical instruments including piano, keyboards, guitars, and bass.
There is also a live band setup that is also recording ready.
Music is a very important facet of the Miami Lighthouse for The Blind’s programming.
Gerardo Ubieda from the famous progressive rock band Témpano works in music at the Lighthouse. He says, “Henry Stone was a great and important man and it’s important for the people who come here to learn who he is and what he did for music. It’s a great honor that he was involved here and we are thankful for all of his great works.”