Talk:Tom Brier

Recreated article

Although this article on BLP Tom Brier received 3 AfDs in the past due to no SIG:COV, COI and failing GNG notability due to lack of RS; since the last AfD results, there has been a discussion approval and unlocked allowance to recreate the article based on current RS and SIG:COV that meet GNG notability for local and music guidelines for musicians. This is a stub article that seeks future and further RS outside of the local and repetitive (Syncopated Times) coverage found within the article; but at least for now it can remain at WP. Unfortunately, even though the BLP is obviously well known for their craft and accomplishments, there is just not a lot of source material. At the very least, the article presently does not mirror former attempts with primary sources and COI. Maineartists (talk) 15:29, 29 March 2026 (UTC)

@Maineartists Don't know if you saw , p88-, by Edward Elgar Publishing. At least it's secondary. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 05:15, 30 March 2026 (UTC)

Image

In case Tom Brier or someone who knows him would like to contribute a better picture to this article, Wikipedia:A picture of you has guidance on that. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 17:39, 29 March 2026 (UTC)

Thank you, Gråbergs Gråa Sång. Also for adding the AfD discussions to this page. I am also including the March 2026 Talk discussion here for additional reference: Articles for deletion: Tom Brier. Maineartists (talk) 22:09, 29 March 2026 (UTC)

The sources tend to be ill-informed

Most of the sources in this article are from video game fans who don’t actually know Tom and have not paid attention to news of his condition that are known within the ragtime community, just deciding to try to get clicks by making videos about him. The article suggests he is a quadriplegic. He is not. There is a video of him playing countermelody with his left hand in 2019, for example. He can walk his wheelchair, though cannot stand. The brain injury affects short-term memory, motor function, and some cognition, e.g. he smashes a computer mouse, unable to remember how to use it.

I’d think a proper WP page for Tom would mention a discography, rollography, and the fact that recordings of him were used by famed biographer Ken Burns in “Unforgivable Blackness”. ~2026-24292-45 (talk) 00:53, 20 April 2026 (UTC)

• To begin with: it was incredibly difficult to even reinstate an article at WP on this BLP considering 3 prior articles had all been placed up for AfD and resulted in delete. Even now, it is skirting the line with sources that are not reliable and / or that are directly associated with the BLP subject. Unfortunately, there is just not a lot of secondary, independent sources that cover the subject outside of the same sources found within the article. Some of which could very well be challenged if certain WP editors who require that policy be followed to the letter when sourcing BLP content visited the page. If any of the above stated can be found online by way of a secondary reliable sources, please feel free to include it in the article. However, it sounds as though you may have a WP:COI through first hand knowledge directly. Currently, publications such as The Syncopated Times and local Ragtime organizations in the West Coast area have been exhausted; and YouTube videos as sources are actually not considered reliable to begin with, which most of this BLP exposure is associated with. I do believe, however, there is a discography included presently. As for a rollography (?), if there is a reliable source that lists this; please provide it so that the content can be added. I was able to find a source for the Ken Burns content, so I will be including that. Thanks. Last, I am not seeing where it states the BLP is a quadriplegic in the article. Maineartists (talk) 03:06, 20 April 2026 (UTC)

If sources are ill-informed, WP will be too, it's how this place works. But sources sometimes improve over time, or previously unused WP:RS come to light. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 11:18, 20 April 2026 (UTC)