Fats Waller

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Fats Waller

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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 Kansas City, Missouri, USA (bronchial pneumonia).

One of the most popular jazz performers of his era.

Thomas Wright Waller was the youngest of four children born to Adaline Locket Waller and the Reverend Edward Martin Waller. He started playing the piano when he was six and graduated to the organ of his father's church four years later. At the age of fourteen he was playing the organ at Harlem's Lincoln Theater and within twelve months he had composed his first rag. 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 was the prize pupil, and later friend and colleague, of stride pianist James P. Johnson. Fats Waller was the son of a preacher and learned to play the organ in church with his mother. Overcoming opposition from his clergyman father, Waller became a professional pianist at 15, working in cabarets and theaters. In 1918 he won a talent contest playing Johnson's "Carolina Shout", a song he learned from watching a player piano play it.

Waller contracted pneumonia and died on a cross country train trip near Kansas City, Missouri on December 15, 1943, after making a final recording session with an interracial group in Detroit that included white trumpeter Don Hirleman. He was on his way back to Hollywood for more film work, after the smash success of "Stormy Weather". Coincidentally, as the train with the body of Waller stopped in Kansas City, so stopped a train with his dear friend Louis Armstrong on board.

Thomas "Fats" Waller was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.

Data provided by Discogs

Top Tracks

Most popular songs on Last.fm · click ▶ to preview on Spotify

1

Ain't Misbehavin'

Fats Waller

2

Honeysuckle Rose

Fats Waller

3

Two Sleepy People

Fats Waller

4

Handful of Keys

Fats Waller

5

Ain't Misbehavin

Fats Waller

Setlists

40 live performances · data from Setlist.fm

All · 40
1943

Setlist data provided by Setlist.fm

September 11, 1943

Greenwich Village Inn

New York, New York, United States


September 9, 1943

Frank Palumbo's

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States


August 28, 1943

Frank Palumbo's

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States


July 1, 1943

Brown Derby

Washington, Washington, D.C., United States


June 30, 1943

Brown Derby

Washington, Washington, D.C., United States

Missing a show? Setlists sync automatically every 7 days.

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Fats Waller has released 15 albums between 1937 and 1996. Notable releases include Ain't Misbehavin' (Highlights), The Jugglin' Jive of Fats Waller 'Live' Volume 3, Live At The Yacht Club. Explore their complete discography on this page.

Fats Waller's most-played tracks include Ain't Misbehavin', Honeysuckle Rose, Two Sleepy People, Handful of Keys, Ain't Misbehavin. Listen to these songs and explore more from their catalog on this page.

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 Kansas City, Missouri, USA (bronchial pneumonia). One of the most popular jazz performe... Read the full biography on this page.

You can find Fats Waller vinyl records, CDs and collectibles on eBay. Browse the selection of new and used releases available for purchase.

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