Scott Joplin

Born - 1868? in northeastern Texas

Died - April 1, 1917 in New York City

Early Life

Scott Joplin was the second of six children born to Giles and Florence Joplin. He learned to play piano at an early age on the piano of his mother’s employer. He also took lessons from a German-born music teacher named Julius Weiss. Joplin began performing as a musician when he was a teenager. In addition to the piano, Joplin played the violin and cornet. He also sang well.

Missouri Connection

Scott spent the major portion of his life in St. Louis and Sedalia, Missouri. His two most famous pieces, Maple Leaf Rag and The Entertainer, were written and published while he lived in Missouri.

Claim to Fame

Scott Joplin became known as "The King of Ragtime" because of his significant contributions to this unique form of music as a composer and pianist. His musical composition, "Maple Leaf Rag," named for a popular Sedalia nightclub, was the first piece of American sheet music to sell one million copies. His celebrated ragtime piece "The Entertainer" won an academy award in 1974 as the theme music for The Sting. In 1976, he was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize for music.

Later Life

By late 1907, Joplin left Missouri and settled in New York City. He was hoping that this city would offer him new opportunities and the solid financial backing he needed to continue his work. Unfortunately, he worked very hard performing and writing new songs for little pay. His work laid the groundwork for jazz, another distinctly American musical form. Through his performances and compositions, Joplin gave the world a unique form of music that combines classical structures and techniques with African American melodies and rhythms.

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