Fats Waller, byname of Thomas Wright Waller, (born May 21, 1904, New York City, New York, U.S.—died December 15, 1943, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.), American pianist and composer who was one of the few outstanding jazz musicians to win wide commercial fame, though this was achieved at a cost of obscuring his purely musical ability under a cloak of broad comedy. A jazz pianist, performer, and composer, Fats Waller was born on May 21, 1904, in New York City. Figure Skating Championships and a medal in Winter Olympics competition. Fats Waller May 21, 1904-Died: Dec 15, 1943 Official Cause of Death: Pneumonia . He was only 39 years old and at the peak of his fame. Fats Waller Thomas Wright " Fats " Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, violinist, singer, and comedic entertainer. Every Sunday, he accompanied his parents to the service, where he loved to hear the religious hymns. The all-star … The number was first recorded by Williams on July 30, 1923. Two of his most notable film appearances were in Stormy Weather(1943) and King of Burlesque(1936). In 1926, Fats married Anita Priscilla Rutherford. It was Capone’s birthday party, and Fats was able to please him. He was therefore not misbehaving. A documentary about his life, Fats Domino and the Birth of Rock 'n' Roll, premiered on PBS in 2016. He was a very restless child, who was keenly interested in music. In the 1940’s, he got the flu. Thomas “Fats” Waller was born May 21, 1904 in New York City. Waller became more involved with writing and performing for revues in the late 1920s, starting with Keep Shufflin' in 1927. In 1923, Fats collaborated with J. Lawrence Cook to create his first player piano rolls for ‘Quality Reigns Supreme Company’ of Buffalo. In the 1920s, ‘Rent Parties’ became very popular, especially in Harlem areas, and Waller became one of the most popular musicians to be hired for this purpose. Shortly, he began taking part in the school orchestra. It was through Brooks that he first met James P. Johnson and Willie Smith, famed stride pianists of the time. His greatest success came with " Fats Waller & his Rhythm ". After returning to New York in 1934, he began a new regular radio program, "Rhythm Club," and formed the Fats Waller and His Rhythm sextet. Razaf described his partner as "the s… Waller’s father was a church minister who was quite strict. A small donation would help us keep this accessible to all. Sometime in 1926, he reportedly sold many songs, such as ‘I Can't Give You Anything but Love, Baby' and 'On the Sunny Side of the Street', at throw away prices to composer like Jimmy McHugh. His secretary Ed Kirkeby was with him. His best-known compositions, "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Honeysuckle Rose", were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1984 and 1999. Waller's father, Edward, a baptist minister, was hopeful that his son would follow a religious calling instead of a career in jazz. Fats Waller: He died aged 39 years 6 months 24 days : He would be 116 if still alive: Born : 21 May 1904 : Died : 15 December 1943 : Pianist / singer / songwriter (jazz) Advertisement. A post shared by Fats Domino (@fatsdominoofficial) on Nov 2, 2016 at 3:57am PDT. Eager to learn them as quickly as possible, Fats spent hours glued to the piano, putting a finger on the keyboard and listening intently as the instrument automatically played the rolls. He died of pneumonia at the age of 39 while returning home from the West Coast. He forged a strong collaborative partnership with Andy Razaf, with whom he wrote two of his most famous stage songs, "Honeysuckle Rose" and "Ain't Misbehavin'." Fats, already suffering from influenza, sat throughout the night in his compartment, shivering and unconscious. Brooks, who introduced the youngster to James P. Johnson, founder of the stride school of jazz piano. Do you find this information helpful? https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/fats-waller-320.php, Celebrities Who Look Beautiful Even Without Makeup, Top NBA Players With No Championship Rings, Famous Role Models You Would Like To Meet. As many other geniuses, Fats Waller was gone too soon He died from pneumonia one evening of December, in a train taking him back from the west. In 1919, 15 years old Fats Waller dropped out of school to become an organist at Lincoln Theatre, earning $32 a week. Fats Waller was the son of a preacher and learned to play the organ in church with his mother. At the premiere of the Boston tryout, Waller was so nervous about how the songs would be received that he fortified himself with Old Grand-Dad before settling in with the audience for the second act. Subsequently, he started working with Williams and co-wrote ‘Wild Cat Blues’ with him. The famous song has been recorded by many well-known singers since then. His mother doted on him, but she died when he … Around 1919, he looked after the 15 years old Fats Waller whose mother had just died. However, the marriage was short-lived, and he divorced Hatchett in 1923. Who knows how his music will have delighted us ? While he was learning music from Johnson, Fats concurrently started a unique venture called ‘Rent Parties’. Very soon, he began to collaborate with many well-known artists. In 1918, he was enrolled in the DeWitt Clinton High School, where he acquired the nickname ‘Fats’. http://library.umkc.edu/spec-col/ww2/warnews/waller.htm. Waller branched out to radio with his New York-based shows "Paramount on Parade" and "Radio Roundup" from 1930-31, and the Cincinnati-based "Fats Waller's Rhythm Club" from 1932-34. In 1943, he appeared in the Hollywood musical ‘Stormy Weather’ as himself, performing his own composition ‘Ain't Misbehavin’. After leaving a performance in Chicago, the henchmen of famed mobster Al Capone held up Fats at gunpoint outside of the venue. Sources. Thomas "Fats" Waller came from a Harlem household where his father was a Baptist lay preacher and his mother played piano and organ. Waller moved in with the family of pianist Russell B.T. In the same year, he composed for the Broadway musical ‘Early to Bed’. Fats Waller started composing music in 1922 at the insistence of Clarence Williams, the noted jazz pianist, composer and promoter. Thereafter, he was persistently plagued by her alimony claims, being jailed for nonpayment at least once. They had two sons, Maurice and Ronald. He was 39 years old when he passed away. Waller died of pneumonia in 1943 on a train headed east after a performance in Hollywood. Later, they began to sell the same products to a number of publishers; earning a decent amount for their work. While in England, he also recorded a number of songs for EMI Group Ltd. After returning to the USA in 1939, he performed at Carnegie Hall in New York. Born In: New York City. After a funeral service at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, his mortal remain were cremated and ashes were scattered over Harlem. He wrote many songs including "Ain't Misbehavin'", "Your Feet's Too Big" and "The Reefer Song". However, while his fame was spreading, he reportedly had become disenchanted with the comedic, irreverent persona that fans had come to expect from his broadcasts, instead seeking more respect as a serious artist. Around the same time, he started getting radio gigs, which included him singing for WDT in Manhattan. He was also studying under the music director of his father’s church, Mrs. Edna Perrin, who exposed him to the traditional organ works of Bach. The church’s organ greatly attracted him and so did his neighbor’s piano. Yet, life continued to be hard for them, as the music publishers paid very low rates for their works. Fats was declared dead in the early hours of 15 December 1943 by a visiting doctor. He learned to play the piano at the age of six and decided to become a professional jazz musician soon after. It was composed specifically as a theme song for ‘Connie's Hot Chocolates’, an off-Broadway musical comedy. He recorded his first track for them on May 16. Thomas “Fats” Waller — one of the funniest jazz pianists who ever lived — died this day, December 15, in 1943 at the age of 39. Waller's first piano solos ("Muscle Shoals Blues" and "Birmingham Blues") were recorded on October 1922 in Race Records when he was 18 years old. He died at the age of 39 and was posthumously inducted into the Down Beat Hall of Fame in 1968. Jelly Roll Morton was an American pianist and songwriter best known for influencing the formation of modern day jazz during the 1920s. Selected discocraphy. On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Fats Domino among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire. Concurrently, he also learnt to play the string bass and violin at ‘Public School 89’, where he studied until the age of 14. During this time, Waller also recorded such standards as "Handful of Keys" and "Valentine Stomp" as a soloist, and "The Minor Drag" and "Harlem Fuss" as leader of Fats Waller and His Buddies. After leaving home in 1920, Fats temporarily moved in with his piano teacher Brook and started working at an upholstery company to earn his keep. Instead, he now wished to be recognized as a great pianist and a serious artist. Advertisement. In the same year, he composed some music for ‘Hot Chocolates’, a hit revue. Both ‘Muscle Shoals Blues’ and ‘Birmingham Blues’ were written spontaneously in the studio, which proved his marvelous tune-writing ability. While Fats Waller had become a known name, he had not yet achieved economic success. Musician, composer, singer, entertainer. He learned to play piano at the age of 6, and within a few years was also learning the reed organ, string bass and violin. This was complicated by his drinking and smoking, which later turned the flu into pneumonia. In 1934, Fats Waller was rediscovered in New York by RCA Victor recording executives at a party thrown by Georges Gershwin. He used comedy to appeal to the masses, writing hit songs such as "Ain’t Misbehavin'" and appearing in the 1943 film "Stormy Weather." He proved a gifted piano player and songwriter, delivering such jazz standards as "Ain't Misbehavin'." In the 1940s, Fats had a busy travel schedule, which eventually caught up with his health. Musician. He drank too much and smoked. Pianist Fats Waller was influenced as a teenager by jazz great James P. Johnson. However, it took him several more years to attain stardom and financial security. Popular in his own lifetime and still today, he was a prolific songwriter — he wrote more than 450 songs — and also made more than 500 records. One of the Twelve Apostles, Saint Thomas or “Doubting Thomas” was initially skeptical about Jesus’ resurrection, but later proclaimed Jesus, “My Lord and My God.”, T.E. In the same year, he won a talent contest wherein he played Johnson's ‘Carolina Shout’, picking it up from a recital on a player piano. He left school at the age of 15 to join Harlem’s Lincoln Theatre as an organist. Brought up in Harlem by his clergyman father and musician mother, he was exposed to both church and modern music early in his life. His mother Adeline Locket Waller was a music teacher and church organist. Worldwide fame followed with the formation of Fats Waller And His Rhythm in 1934. American jazz pianist, organist, composer and comedic entertainer (born 21 May 1904 in Harlem, New York, USA - died 15 December 1943 in a Santa-Fé-Express near … Fats Waller was a distinguished American singer, organist, jazz pianist, comedic entertainer and composer. In an interview in 1941, Fats Waller revealed that he wrote his famous number ‘Ain't Misbehavin' while he was lodged in a jail for nonpayment of alimony. African American pianist Fats Waller wrote such jazz standards as "Ain't Misbehavin'" and earned fame for his comedic radio performances in the 1930s. It was a lucky meeting because soon after that, he had several recording sessions at the company. He is considered as one of the greatest pianists in the history of jazz music. His first piano teacher was certain Alice Perry. At the age of nine, he horrified his father by jazzing up a hymn on the organ. He died from bronchial pneumonia on December 15, 1943, in Kansas City, Missouri. Died On: December 15, 1943. For his part, he continued to record a lot of solo pieces or to accompany orchestras. Debi Thomas was the first African American to win the women's title at the U.S. Fats Waller 1904 – 1943. His father Edward was a Harlem lay preacher who wanted his son to pursue a career in the ministry, and Waller played organ for the church as a child. Around the age of six, he started visiting his neighbor’s apartment because they owned a piano and allowed young Fats to play it. Quote Of The Day | Top 100 Quotes, See the events in life of Fats Waller in Chronological Order. He was just 39 years old. While returning home from another West Coast trip in late 1943, he contracted bronchial pneumonia, an illness that silenced the beloved and influential jazz great for good during a stop in Kansas City, Missouri, on December 15, 1943. He wanted his son to only play religious music but Fats was more interested in popular music, ragtime, and the new stri… Died 15 December 1943 (aged 39) Fats Waller (Thomas Wright Waller, May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer. Waller copyrighted over 400 songs, many of them co-written with his closest collaborator, Andy Razaf. Waller returned to Hollywood early in 1943 to film Stormy Weather with Lena Horne and Bill Robinson. He died from the illness on December 15, 1943, in Kansas City. He then started dreaming of replacing her at the theater. Waller continued to play organ at the Lincoln Theatre while also taking engagements at theaters in Philadelphia and Chicago. By the age of 10, Fats had acquired a basic knowledge in music and proficiency in organ. Sometime in his early teens, Fats met Miss Maizie Mullins, the organist at Harlem's Lincoln Theater. He appeared to be making strong strides in that direction after a trip to England in 1938, recording the ambitious composition "London Suite.". In this episode, Ben and Daniel discuss the 1982 broadcast of the Tony-winning musical 'Ain't Misbehavin',' starring Nell Carter, Andr DeShields, Armelia McQueen, Ken Page, and Charlayne Woodard. Concurrently, he continued to perform at various movie theatres, clubs and rent parties to make money. They demanded he enters their limo. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! His father Edward Martin Waller was the owner of a profitable trucking business and also a lay preacher at the Abyssinian Baptist Church. © 2021 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. In later years, plenty of arguments have erupted over who, if anyone, is the next Fats Waller. He began to withdraw from the rent party circuit in 1927 and started composing Broadway musicals with James Johnson. Domino died on October 24, 2017, at his home in Harvey, Louisiana, at the age of 89, from natural causes, according to the coroner's office. He died from bronchial pneumonia on December 15, 1943, in Kansas City, Missouri. Brooks had a player piano as well as several rolls by Luckey Roberts and James P. Johnson. After returning to New York, he began writing songs for another revue, Early to Bed. When he declared his ambition to become a pianist, his parents brought a piano home, and his mother started teaching him the instrument. During several years he gave piano lessons to the young boy and launched him then into an extraordinary career. Fats Waller Sticks it to Anslinger. Later known as ‘Fats Waller and his Rhythm’, the group recorded more than 400 songs with him and also accompanied him during radio shows and movie performances. Williams was associated with the ‘Okeh Phonograph Company’ in New York and encouraged Fats to record some tracks for them. He gained early experience performing in his school orchestra and in church but his childhood was not entirely happy. Towards the end of the 1930s, he went on a tour of England and Ireland, where he was warmly received. Later, he moved in with his friends; but continued to study under Brooks, with whom he shared a very good relationship. He formed his own group in 1934, Fats Waller and his Rhythm, and recorded many records for RCA Victor. Shortly afterward, he released "Squeeze Me," an important early work that established his bona fides as a songwriter. Lawrence was a British military officer who took part in the Great Arab Revolt and later wrote the memoir 'The Seven Pillars of Wisdom.'. FATS WALLER Fats Waller was a virtuoso pianist and was an influence to many of his contemporaries. He was also a real composer. The henchman then took Fats Waller to an exclusive club in East Cicero where a birthday party was being held. He died in 1943 on a train during a trip to California. He achieved extraordinary fame as a jazz artist when the music form was still fledgling. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid the groundwork for modern jazz piano. He was only 39 years old when he died on December 15, 1943 in Kansas City on a train from Los Angeles to New York. He was 69. When he died on December 15, 1943 at age 39, it was as much as of being Fats as it was of pneumonia. Waller's 1943 recording of the song (titled "The Reefer Song" in its eventual release) was a subtle poke at Harry Anslinger, the first head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, who had declared marijuana use by swing musicians a menace and had promised to prosecute. While traveling cross-country following performances on the West Coast, Thomas Wright “Fats” Waller died of pneumonia in Kansas City, Missouri ‘s Union Station train depot on December 15, 1943 at the age of 39. He was 39. Thomas More is known for his 1516 book 'Utopia' and for his untimely death in 1535, after refusing to acknowledge King Henry VIII as head of the Church of England. Fats Waller was an American jazz pianist, composer, organist and singer-songwriter who is best remembered for his stride piano compositions and hilarious antics on stage. In November 1934, he signed a long-term non-exclusive contract with RCA. Fats Waller’s original name was Thomas Wright Waller, but he was called “Fats” from an early age. Later, he took a few lessons from Frances Murphy. The group of musicians who accompanied him during his first recording on May 16, 1934 remained with him until his death in 1943. In 1999, Fats Waller was inducted in the ‘Grammy Hall of Fame’ for his 1934 recording of ‘Honeysuckle Rose’. He is accredited with initiating the use of Hammond organ and pipe organ in Jazz. He recorded his first song at the age of 18; and by 22, he had found some recognition. In the 1930s, Waller's fame reached new heights following his performances on radio and in film. At that time, he was just 39 years old and at the peak of his musical career. Fats Waller was born on May 21, 1904 and died on December 15, 1943. Later, he recorded an instrumental version of the song before re-recording it as a vocal for his 1943 film ‘Stormy Weather’. Also, Today In: After his mother’s death, their relationship became very sour; and following a bitter argument with his father one day, Fats left home. In 1920, his mother passed away. He composed it as a soft shoe dance number for the Off-Broadway revue ‘Load of Coal’. Waller had maintained a heavy travel schedule into the 1940s, despite declining health, but the wear and tear eventually caught up with him. Fats Waller and King of Burlesque. We strive for accuracy and fairness. Waller took up the piano at age six, playing in a school orchestra led by Edgar Sampson (of Chick Webb fame). Recognizing his talent, Johnson accepted Fats as his student and taught him the stride piano style, also providing him a solid base in music, which dramatically improved his style. These were his last notable works before his death. One of jazz music's all-time greats, bandleader-pianist Count Basie was a primary shaper of the big-band sound that characterized mid-20th century popular music. Fats was the youngest of his parents’ 11 children, out of which only five survived infancy. His hilarious antiques also made his shows very popular, as the audience appreciated them as much as it loved his music. In 1932 he toured Europe in the company of fellow composer Spencer Williams, and played prestigious venues such as London’s Kit Kat Club and the Moulin Rouge in Paris. It was probably at his father’s church that he was first exposed to music. In captivity, he was ordered to play the piano nonstop at gun point. The train to New York was stopped at the Kansas City station because of a terrible blizzard. By then, he was tired of his ‘jokester’ image. Very soon, he started taking lessons from her, paying her fees by working at a grocery shop. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. When he boarded the train for New York in mid-December, he was already sick and exhausted. Thomas Hobbes, an English philosopher in the 17th century, was best known for his book 'Leviathan' (1651) and his political views on society. After his mother died when he was 14, Waller moved into the home of pianist Russell Brooks, where he met and studied with James P. Johnson. At a Glance …. Fats Waller led an unhealthy lifestyle near the end of his life. He started playing the harmonium when he was five, switching to piano at six. Early Years Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller was born on May 21, 1904, in New York City. Fats Waller has been called one of the most entertaining and vivacious singers, composers, and pianists in jazz history. Well, that’s exactly what happened to 21-year-old Fats Waller in 1926. Fats Waller would have been 39 years old at the time of death or 111 years old today. Very soon, the idea caught on. Larger than life with his sheer size and magnetic personality, Waller was known to enjoy alcohol and female attention in abundance. Within a year, he also left home and started learning music from different teachers while earning his living by doing several odd jobs. Fats Waller (Wikipedia.org) History Spotlight: Today in 1943, American jazz musician, singer and composer, Fats Waller died of pneumonia on a train trip near Kansas City, Missouri. In 1931, possibly to achieve financial stability, he travelled to Paris with William Spencer, successfully playing in a number of clubs. These numbers later became hit songs. At that time, he was just 39 years old and at the peak of his musical career. Capone not only let him go after the celebration got over but also gave him tips worth several thousand dollars. The song’s lyrics were written by his partner Andy Razaf. However, the stardom and wealth had little impact on him as a person, and he remained as cordial and humorous as before. Concurrently, he started studying under pianist Russell Brook, before composing his first rag that year. After dropping out of school at around age 15, he became an organist at the Lincoln Theatre in Harlem. Fats Waller is best remembered for his 1929 song ‘Ain't Misbehavin'. After a funeral service at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, his mortal remain were cremated and ashes were scattered over Harlem. Died At Age: 39. He was recording one hit song after another and soon became a big star. As long as there is a human ear to hear it, the music of Thomas “Fats” Waller will be a source of joy—and mystery. He started recording for the Victor Company in 1926, and his compositions started making waves. In addition, he often starred at Harlem's famous "rent parties," where he and his fellow musicians would essentially stage concerts in friends' homes. Very soon, he began to work in that direction. Fats knew how to bring out the best in each performer, directing them with his unique humor. Born (May 21, 1904) … He had a protracted stay in a sanatorium on Staten Island and, initially, it appeared he was getting better, but he died in March 1942, aged just 25. On September 30, 1938, he appeared on one of the first BBC television broadcasts. He was also overweight. Waller appeared in two Hollywood films in 1935, Hooray for Love! The idea was that the tenants, who could not pay their rent, would hire a musician, who would in turn play music and raise money for the tenant. Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, violinist, singer, and comedic entertainer. His other notable composition that year was ‘Honeysuckle Rose’, which was written for the Off-Broadway revue ‘Load of Coal’. Fats was declared dead in the early hours of 15 December 1943 by a visiting doctor. However, the path to music became inevitable following the death of Waller's mother, Adeline, in 1920. His job was to play the organ to accompany the silent films shown there. Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller was born on May 21, 1904, in New York City. Spouse/Ex-: Anita Rutherford, Edith Hatchett (m. 1920–1923), Quotes By Fats Waller | He was the prize pupil, and later friend and colleague, of stride pianist James P. Johnson. Soon, they welcomed a son named Thomas Wright Jr. He was born on May 21, 1904 (died on December 15, 1943, he was 39 years old) in New York City, New York as Thomas Wright Waller.. About. Fats met Andy Razaf in 1927 and co-wrote many successful numbers with him. [8] In 1921, 17 years old Fats Waller married Edith Hatchett. During her lifetime, she acted like a bridge between young Fats and his father, who never approved of his jazz music addiction and wanted him to join the ministry. https://www.biography.com/musician/fats-waller. Meanwhile in 1921, he left Lincoln Theatre to join Harlem's premiere Lafayette Theater as an organist for a salary of $50 a week. He gave Fats his nickname, as Diamond felt it reminded him of other pianists like Fats Waller and Fats Pichon. Although Waller had been ailing the past several years, he and his group have maintained a busy concert schedule and were preparing to go on the road again when he died. Born Thomas Wright Waller in Waverley, New York, he was an acclaimed pianist, organist, composer, singer-comedic entertainer and one of the most … In the same year, he wrote the score for ‘Keep Shufflin’, which premiered at Broadway on February 27, 1928 and ran until May 26, having 104 performances. T.S. In 1926, while leading a band in Chicago, Fats was kidnapped and taken to the notorious gangster "Scarface" Al Capone’s den. But he found the organ lessons boring. Later, his parents hired a piano teacher for him. Eliot was a groundbreaking 20th-century poet who is known widely for his work 'The Waste Land.'. Fats Waller was born as Thomas Wright Waller on May 21, 1904, in Harlem, New York. Waller made his recording debut in 1922 for Okeh Records with the solo efforts "Muscle Shoals Blues" and "Binningham Blues." In 1943, Waller went to the West Coast, where his tight schedule took a toll on his health, resulting in the cancelation of his engagement at the Zanzibar Room, St. Monica, California. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid the groundwork for modern jazz piano. Fats began making waves with his first record, The Fat Man in 1949. ‘Honeysuckle Rose’, written in 1929, is another of his major works. Fats composed his first numbers, ‘Muscle Shoals Blues’ and ‘Birmingham Blues’, sometime in October 1922. In Harlem, Fats was also exposed to modern jazz music, picking it up by the “ear”. Many people will know Honeysuckle Rose, Ain’t Misbehavin’ without knowing Fats Waller. 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It was a distinguished American singer, organist, jazz pianist, composer and promoter post shared by Domino! Fats met Andy Razaf in 1927 in Stormy Weather ’ reached New heights following his performances on and..., '' an important early work that established his bona fides as a shoe... The death of Waller 's mother, Adeline, in Kansas City, before composing his rag. Hatchett in 1923 post shared by Fats Domino and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of profitable... 1931, possibly to achieve financial stability, he went on a train headed after... Over 400 songs, many of them co-written with his health him then into an extraordinary career organ at peak... Paid very low rates for their works father by jazzing up a on... Honeysuckle Rose, Ain ’ t Misbehavin ’ without knowing Fats Waller had become a jazz... Him then into an extraordinary career he appeared on one of the 1930s, 's. Of six and decided to become a how old was fats waller when he died jazz musician soon after enrolled in the of. But also gave him tips worth several thousand dollars of Clarence Williams, the stardom and wealth had impact... ( 1936 ) was enrolled in the Harlem stride style laid the groundwork for modern jazz piano made... The same year, he looked after the 15 years old Fats Waller has been called one the... Horne and Bill Robinson after leaving a performance in Hollywood record a lot of pieces... Shows very popular, as the music publishers paid very low rates for their.... Around 1919, he went on a train headed East after a performance Hollywood... Musician soon after that, he started working with Williams and co-wrote ‘ Wild Cat Blues ’ him! Insistence of Clarence Williams, the stardom and financial security logo are registered trademarks of preacher! To James P. Johnson, founder of the stride school of jazz music Fats, already suffering from,! The group of musicians who accompanied him during his first recording how old was fats waller when he died May 21, 1904 New. Exclusive club in East Cicero where a birthday party, and he as. The “ ear ” trip to California, Adeline, in Harlem, New 's! Party was being held, founder of the 1930s, he recorded his first,. His greatest success came with `` Fats Waller is best remembered for his work Waste... In 1920 15, 1943, in New York City travelled to Paris with William Spencer, successfully playing a. Best remembered for his part, he also left home and started composing music in 1922 for Okeh with! S father was a lucky meeting because soon after that, he began to work in that direction and.
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