Fats Waller (born Thomas Wright Waller on
May 21,
1904, died
December 15,
1943) was an
American jazz pianist,
organist,
composer and
comedic entertainer. 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 In the 1920's and 30's Waller quickly sold some of his compositions just after they were written, and as they became hits, other songwriters had already claimed them as their own. Some standards are alternatively attributed to Waller, a matter of some debate.
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