Fats Waller
“You get that right-tickin’ rhythm, man, and it’s ON!” —
Fats Waller
From the time composer/musician Fats Waller was a
little kid playing organ in church, he knew his
fingers were made for a divine purpose. His daddy,
who was a Baptist preacher, believed that purpose was to
make music for God. However Waller had something
else in mind - jazz!
The New York native’s passion for jazz grew during
high school when he met pianist James P. Johnson.
While a protégé of Johnson’s, Waller adopted the
Harlem stride style of piano playing, “the swinging
left hand,” emphasizing tenths on the bass, to which
Waller added his own distinctive touch.
Waller, who was born in 1904, made his recording debut
in 1922 as a soloist for Okeh with Muscle Shoals Blues
and Binningham Blues. That sparked a series of
recordings the same year as accompanist for several
blues singers, including Sara Martin, Alberta Hunter,
and Maude Mills.
Soon, Waller began to establish a reputation as a
composer of material performed and recorded by other
artists. In 1923 he had his broadcasting debut for a
Newark local station, followed by regular appearances
on WHN of New York.
Though his skills on the piano opened the door to the
music business, it wasn’t until after Fats started to
sing that he became famous. He got his first break in
1926 when he caught the attention of a record label
executive from Victor at a party where he was playing
and singing. The executive was so impressed, he
immediately signed Waller to the label.
It wasn’t long before Waller became a hit-maker. He
released a string of popular tunes including “Ain’t
Misbehavin’” “Honeysuckle Rose,” “I’m Gonna Sit Right
Down And Write Myself A Letter,” “When Somebody Thinks
You’re Wonderful,” “My Very Good Friend The Milkman,”
and “Your Feet’s Too Big.”
In addition to his recording career, Waller wrote the
score for the Broadway hit “Hot Chocolates” with
lyrics supplied by his friend Andy Razaf. Fats’ most
famous song, “Ain’t Misbehavin’” was introduced in
this show, which featured Louis Armstrong.
In the mid-1930s, Waller worked on the West Coast with
Les Hite’s band at Frank Sebastian’s New Cotton Club.
He also appeared in two films while in Hollywood in
1935, “Hooray for Love!”and “King of Burlesque.”
During the last few years of his life, Waller toured
frequently and cut many recordings. He returned to
Hollywood in 1943 to make the film “Stormy Weather” with
Lena Horne and Bill Robinson.
Over time, the demands of Waller’s rigorous touring
schedule and his alcohol abuse began to take their
toll. He died at the age of 39 from a bout with
pneumonia.
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