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Fats Waller
Background information
Birth name	Thomas Wright Waller
Born	May 21, 1904(1904-05-21)
Origin	New York City
Died	December 15, 1943 (aged 39)
Genre(s)	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Pianist
Instrument(s)	Piano

Fats Waller (born Thomas Wright Waller on May 21, 1904, died December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer and comedic entertainer. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2375x3000, 578 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Fats Waller ... is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... A pianist is a person who plays the piano. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... A short grand piano, with the lid up. ... is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cover from album by Bud Powell. ... This article or section should be merged with Pipe organ The Casavant pipe organ at Notre-Dame de Montréal Basilica, Montreal The organ is a type of keyboard musical instrument, distinctive because the sound is not produced by a percussion action, as on a piano or celesta, or by... A composer is a person who writes music. ... A comedy is a dramatic performance of a light and amusing character, usually with a happy conclusion to its plot. ... An entertainer is someone who is hired to entertain people. ...

A skilled pianist -- widely recognized as a master of stride piano -- Waller was one of the most popular performers of his era, finding critical and commercial success in his homeland and in Europe. Waller was also a prolific songwriter, with many songs he wrote or co-wrote still known to modern audiences, such as "Honeysuckle Rose", "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Squeeze Me". Fellow pianist and composer Oscar Levant dubbed Waller "the black Horowitz" in a favorable comparison to Russian pianist Vladimir Horowitz^[1] A prolific composer of novelty swing tunes in the 1920s and 30s, Waller sold many of his compositions for relatively small sums, and as they became hits, other songwriters had already claimed them as their own. Thus many standards are alternatively, controversially attributed to Waller. Stride is a pioneering jazz piano style. ... Honeysuckle Rose is a 1928 song composed by Fats Waller, with lyrics written by Andy Razaf. ... Aint Misbehavin is a 1929 song written by Fats Waller with Harry Brooks and Andy Razaf. ... Oscar Levant (December 27, 1906 - August 14, 1972) was an American pianist, composer, author, comedian, and an actor, better known for his mordant character and witticisms, on the radio and in movies and television, than his music. ... Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz (Russian: ; Ukrainian: ) (1 October 1903 – 5 November 1989) was a Russian-American[1][2] pianist. ...

Biography

He was born in New York City on 10th Avenue^[2] to a Baptist minister father. In 1888, when the Waller family migrated from Virginia to New York City they chose Waverly Place in Greenwich Village in order to belong to the Abyssinian Baptist Church. When the church moved uptown to Harlem the family followed and settled eventually at 107 West 134th street.^[3][2] Fats's grandfather, Adolph Waller, was an accomplished violinist. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Baptist is... This article is about the Harlem neighborhood in New York City. ...

Waller started his musical career at an early age. He studied classical piano and organ as a child, taught largely by the music director of his Baptist church, who insisted he also learn the organ works of J. S. Bach. Waller learned the latest piano style from following a player piano recording of legendary Harlem stride pianist James P. Johnson's "Carolina Shout." Subsequently, Waller took regular piano lessons from Johnson, a genius and pivotal jazz artist, and joined him making piano rolls for the QRS Music Roll Company. He also benefitted from legendary stride pianist Willie "The Lion" Smith, who gave Fats the nickname "Filthy".^[3] The Lion's love for 19th Century impressionistic composers helped extend Waller's use of classical pianistic devices. Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, European art, ecclesiastical and concert music, encompassing a broad period from roughly 1000 to the present day. ... A short grand piano, with the lid up. ... Organ in Katharinenkirche, Frankfurt am Main, Germany The organ is a keyboard instrument played using one or more manuals and a pedalboard. ... Bach redirects here. ... The player piano is a type of piano that plays music without the need for a human pianist to depress the normal keys or pedals. ... James Price Johnson (February 1, 1894 - November 17, 1955) was a pianist and composer. ... Example of a piano roll being punched. ... Willie The Lion Smith (25 November 1897 - 18 April 1973) was a jazz pianist, one of the masters of the stride style. ...

Johnson introduced Waller to the world of rent parties (parties with a piano player, designed to help pay the rent by charging the guests), and obtained his first piano roll assignments and recordings for Okeh Records when Waller was only 18. For a rent party (sometimes called a house party or house-rent party), tenants hire a musician or band to play for a party and pass the hat to raise money to pay their rent. ...

On December 15, 1943, Waller died of pneumonia while stopped at the railroad station in Kansas City. He was in his private railroad car, returning to New York after a two week engagement in Los Angeles. He collapsed while talking with his manager, Ed Kirkeby. Waller was only 39.^[4] His weight of nearly 300 pounds (136 kg) and perpetual drinking habit are believed to have contributed to his premature death. is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about human pneumonia. ...

Musical contributions

He was an excellent and much copied jazz pianist—now considered one of the very best who ever played in the stride style. He also had a touch that varied from subtle and extremely light to very powerful. He was a master of dynamics and tension and release. But it was his singing, songwriting, and his lovable, roguish stage personality that sold his hundreds of recordings for RCA Victor, in a day when much of society did not recognize jazz as "serious" music. He played with many performers, from Gene Austin to Erskine Tate to Adelaide Hall, but his greatest success came with his own five- or six-piece combo, "Fats Waller and his Rhythm". Fats Waller was such an impressive and talented pianist that he came to the attention of the rich and famous—- sometimes whether he wanted to or not. Fats Waller was in Chicago in 1926 and, upon leaving the building where he was performing, Waller was kidnapped by four men, who bundled him into a car and drove off. The car later pulled up outside the Hawthorne Inn, owned by infamous gangster Al Capone. Fats was ordered inside the building, to find a party in full swing. With a gun against his back, Waller was pushed towards a piano, whereupon the gangsters demanded he start playing. A terrified Waller suddenly realized he was the "surprise guest" at Al Capone's birthday party. Soon comforted by the fact that he wouldn't die, Waller played, according to rumor, for three days. When he left the Hawthorne Inn, he was very drunk, extremely tired, and had earned thousands of dollars in cash given to him by Capone himself and by party-goers as tips.^[3] RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony BMG Music Entertainment. ... Gene Austin (June 24, 1900 - January 24, 1972) was an American singer and songwriter who is considered to have been the first crooner. Austin was born as Lemeul Eugene Lucas in Gainesville, Texas (north of Dallas), to Nova Lucas (died 1943) and the former Serena Belle Harrell (died 1956). ... Adelaide Hall Adelaide Hall (20 October 1901–7 November 1993 was an American-born British singer and entertainer. ... Combo: combo box (a widget) No WTO Combo (a punk rock band) El Gran Combo (a Salsa band) Peregoyo y su Combo Vacano (a Salsa band) Combo Waterhole This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... For other uses, see Chicago (disambiguation). ... “Capone” redirects here. ...

Among his songs are "Squeeze Me" (1919), "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now", "Ain't Misbehavin'" (1929), "Blue Turning Grey Over You", "I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling" (1929), "Honeysuckle Rose" (1929), and "Jitterbug Waltz" (1930). He collaborated successfully with the Tin Pan Alley lyricist Andy Razaf for a number of years. Waller also composed stride piano display pieces such as "Handful of Keys", "Valentine Stomp" and "Viper's Drag." His songs have become standards of the jazz repertoire. Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Aint Misbehavin is a 1929 song written by Fats Waller with Harry Brooks and Andy Razaf. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Honeysuckle Rose is a 1928 song composed by Fats Waller, with lyrics written by Andy Razaf. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Tin Pan Alley is the name given to the collection of New York City-centered music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century. ... Andy Razaf (December 16, 1895_1973), (born Andriamanantena Paul Razafinkarefo also Razafkeriefo) African American composer, poet, and lyricist of such well-known songs as Aint Misbehavin and *Honeysuckle Rose. Born in Washington, D.C., the son of Henry Razafkeriefo, a Malagasy nobleman and Jennie (Waller) Razafkeriefo, the daughter of John...

Waller made a successful tour of the British Isles in the late 1930s, and appeared in one of the earliest BBC Television broadcasts. While in Britain, Waller also recorded a number of songs for EMI on their Compton Theatre organ located in their Studios in St John's Wood, London. He appeared in several feature films and short subject films, most notably "Stormy Weather" in 1943, which was released only months before his death. This article describes the archipelago in north-western Europe. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see EMI (disambiguation). ... Console of the 3/13 Barton Theater Pipe Organ at Ann Arbors Michigan Theater A theatre organ is a pipe organ originally designed specifically for imitation of an orchestra, but in latter years new designs have tended to be around some of the sounds and blends unique to the... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... St Johns Wood is a district of North London, England in the City of Westminster, near Regents Park. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... Stormy Weather is the title of an American musical motion picture produced and released by 20th Century Fox in 1943. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

For his hit Broadway show, "Hot Chocolates", with Razaf he wrote "What Did I Do (To Be So Black and Blue)?" (1929) which became a hit for Louis Armstrong. This song, a searing treatment of racism, black and white, calls into question the early accusations of "shallow entertainment" ignorantly leveled at both Armstrong and Waller. Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Louis[1] Armstrong[2] (4 August 1901[3] – July 6, 1971), nicknamed Satchmo[4] and Pops, was an American jazz musician. ... Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Ethnocracy Anti-discriminatory Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal opportunity Counter-discriminatory Affirmative action Racial quota...

Waller could read and write music well (from his classical keyboard studies) and would even, on occasion, perform organ works of Bach for small groups. He left his stamp on many pre-bop jazz pianists. Count Basie and Erroll Garner, for example, would have sounded very different absent the Waller sound. Today, Dick Hyman, Mike Lipskin, Louis Mazatier and other jazz pianists perform in the Waller idiom. Although the stride style, like all jazz, must be learned primarily by ear, many scholars have transcribed his brilliant improvisations from old recordings and radio broadcasts, in sheet music form. The pianist and keyboard professor Paul Posnak produced transcriptions of 16 of Waller's greatest solos, published by Hal Leonard, which Posnak uses in concerts worldwide. William Count Basie (August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. ... Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer whose distinctive and melodic style brought him both popular acclaim and the admiration of peers. ... Dick Hyman Joke: What is the difference between Dick Hyman, and a regular Hyman? A regular hyman goes away when penetrated by a penis. ... Paul Posnak is an American pianist and music academic. ... Hal Leonard Corporation is a US sheet music publishing company. ...

In addition to his virtuosic playing, Waller was known for his many quips during his performances, including: "One never knows, do one?" "No lady, We can't haul your ashes for 25 cents, that's bad business." "Mercy!" "Well all right then!" "I wonder what the poor people are doing... I'd love to be doing it with them!" "Run into and stab me, but don't bruise me!" and "Wot's da matta wit DAT?!"

Grammy Hall of Fame

Recordings of Fats Waller were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, which is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least twenty-five years old, and that have "qualitative or historical significance." The Grammy Hall of Fame Award is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least twenty-five years old and that have qualitative or historical significance. Alphabetical listing by title: List of Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients A-D List of Grammy Hall... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ...

Honeysuckle Rose is a 1928 song composed by Fats Waller, with lyrics written by Andy Razaf. ... Aint Misbehavin is a 1929 song written by Fats Waller with Harry Brooks and Andy Razaf. ... Martin Luther King Jr. ... Construction of the Thomas Jefferson Building, from July 8, 1888 to May 15, 1894. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Revival and posthumous awards

A Broadway musical revue showcasing Waller tunes entitled Ain't Misbehavin' was produced in 1978. (The show and a star of the show, Nell Carter, won Tony Awards for the show.) The show opened at the Longacre Theatre and ran for over 1600 performances. It was revived on Broadway in 1988. Performed by five African American actors, it included such songs as "Honeysuckle Rose", "This Joint Is Jumpin'", and "Ain't Misbehavin'". Musical theater (or theatre) is a form of theater combining music, songs, dance, and spoken dialogue. ... A revue is a type of theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches that satirize contemporary figures, news, or literature. ... Aint Misbehavin is a song by Harry Brooks with Fats Waller and lyricist Andy Razaf, dating from 1929. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Nell Carter, as Nell Harper on Gimme a Break! Nell Carter (September 13, 1948 – January 23, 2003) was an American singer and film, stage and television actress. ... What is popularly called the Tony Award (formally, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award celebrating achievements in live American theater, including musical theater, primarily honoring productions on Broadway in New York. ... The Longacre Theatre is a Broadway theatre. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Honeysuckle Rose is a 1928 song composed by Fats Waller, with lyrics written by Andy Razaf. ... Aint Misbehavin is a 1929 song written by Fats Waller with Harry Brooks and Andy Razaf. ...

Waller's music is featured in the 2008 movie "Be Kind Rewind". Be Kind Rewind is an upcoming 2008 comedy film directed by Michel Gondry and starring Jack Black, Mos Def, Danny Glover, and Mia Farrow. ...

Inductions

Jazz at Lincoln Center is a new addition to the Lincoln Center performing arts complex, located at 60th Street and Broadway in New York City, slightly south of the main Lincoln Center campus and directly adjacent to Columbus Circle. ... The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded by the Recording Academy to performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording [1]. This award is distinct from the Grammy Hall of Fame Award, which honors specific recordings rather than individuals, and... The Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization founded in 1977 to promote greater awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of big band and jazz music.[1] The organization has inducted more than 200 individuals into its Hall of Fame, maintains an extensive biographical database, and aspires... Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Dates of induction to the Songwriters Hall of Fame are given alongside the names Adams, Lee (1989) Adamson, Harold (1972...

Popular Culture

See above.

His history is a big part of the plot of the 2008 movie Be Kind Rewind. Referenced in the 1979 movie The Muppet Movie. Referenced in Robert Pinsky's poem "History of My Heart." Be Kind Rewind is an upcoming 2008 comedy film directed by Michel Gondry and starring Jack Black, Mos Def, Danny Glover, and Mia Farrow. ... The Muppet Movie is the first of a series of live-action musical feature films starring Jim Hensons Muppets. ... Robert Pinsky (born October 20, 1940) is an American poet, essayist, literary critic, and translator who served in the post of Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress (known popularly as the Poet Laureate of the United States) from 1997 to 2000. ...

An Episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway had Wayne Brady perform as Fats Waller doing the ad-libbed safari-themed song "Lion Nibblin' On My Toes" Whose Line Is It Anyway? is an improvised and largely unscripted comedy game show. ... Wayne Alphonso[1] Brady (born June 2, 1972 in Orlando, Florida) is an Emmy-winning American comedian, singer and television personality, known for his role on the ABC television show Whose Line Is It Anyway? and for his daytime talk show, The Wayne Brady Show. ...

His organ music is prominently featured in the David Lynch cult hit, Eraserhead For other persons named David Lynch, see David Lynch (disambiguation). ... Eraserhead (released in France as The Labyrinth Man) is a 1977 surrealist-horror film written and directed by David Lynch. ...

A part of Alligator Crawl is featured during the "Intermission" sequences of Monty Python and the Holy Grail Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a 1975 film written and performed by the comedy group Monty Python (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin), and directed by Gilliam and Jones. ...

References

See also

• Andy Razaf, lyricist
• Stride piano defined with notable artists listed

Andy Razaf (December 16, 1895_1973), (born Andriamanantena Paul Razafinkarefo also Razafkeriefo) African American composer, poet, and lyricist of such well-known songs as Aint Misbehavin and *Honeysuckle Rose. Born in Washington, D.C., the son of Henry Razafkeriefo, a Malagasy nobleman and Jennie (Waller) Razafkeriefo, the daughter of John... Stride is a pioneering jazz piano style. ...

External links

• Fats Waller at the Internet Movie Database
• Fats Waller at the Internet Broadway Database
• Fats Waller piano rollography
• Red Hot Jazz A selection of Fats Waller's Recordings
• Fats Waller Forever A digital exhibit of Fats Waller's musical career
• Fats Waller A hodge-podge of Waller memorabilia
• Fats Waller A tribute to the King of Stride Piano
• Fats Waller Stride Piano & Sheet Music
• All Music Guide