Joplin, Scott, 1868-1917

Even among the colossal outpouring of distinctive American music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Scott Joplin’s compositions stand out as classics. He would come to be revered as a ragtime giant, writing such hits as “Gladiolus Rag,” “The Entertainer” and “Maple Leaf Rag.”; His piano compositions were a hit in the saloons of the Midwest — he almost single-handedly put St. Louis on the musical map — but also in the high-society parlors of great European capitals; Scott Joplin was born in either 1867 or 1868 (accounts differ) in Texarkana, Tex., to Giles, a laborer, and Florence (Givens) Joplin, who cleaned houses for a living; By the mid-1890s, he was writing his own compositions. While in Sedalia, Mo., he caught the attention of John Stark, a local businessman, who purchased rights to Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag.” When it was published in 1899, it became a sensation, and all 10,000 copies quickly sold; When Joplin arrived in New York City in 1907, he was popular enough to find work right away; wrote opera Treemonisha that got a single showing in 1915;

Scott Joplin c. 1867/68 or November 24, 1868, Texarkana, AK – April 1, 1917, New York City, NY; father was ex-slave, mother was freeborn African-American; received most of his music education from Julius Weiss; worked as a traveling musician; moved to Missouri, 1894; in 1897 started publishing ragtime songs; collaborated with Scott Hayden on rags, including his best known piece, "The Entertainer"; relocated to New York City to find a producer for his opera but was unsuccessful