Fats Waller
Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, and singer. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid much of the basis for modern jazz piano. His best-known compositions, "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Honeysuckle Rose", were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1984 and 1999. Waller copyrighted over 400 songs, many of them co-written with his closest collaborator, Andy Razaf. Razaf described his partner as "the soul of melody... a man who made the piano sing... both big in body and in mind... known for his generosity... a bubbling bundle of joy". It is likely that he composed many more popular songs than he has been credited with: when in financial difficulties he had a habit of selling songs to other writers and performers who claimed them as their own. Waller started playing the piano at the age of six and became a professional organist at 15. By the age of 18, he was a recording artist. He was a prolific songwriter, and one of the most popular performers of his era, touring internationally and achieving critical and commercial success in the United States and Europe. He died from pneumonia, aged 39. |
Birth and Death Data: Born May 21, 1904 (New York City), Died December 15, 1943 (Kansas City)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1922 - 1951
Roles Represented in DAHR: piano, leader, vocalist, composer, songwriter, pipe organ, director, celeste, arranger, organ, electric organ, lyricist, speaker
Notes: Sometimes listed as Thomas Waller or Thomas Wright Waller.
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 176-200 of 692 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BS-89763 | 10-in. | 5/9/1935 | You're the cutest one | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-89764 | 10-in. | 5/9/1935 | I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-89765 | 10-in. | 5/9/1935 | Hate to talk about myself | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-92267 | 10-in. | 6/14/1935 | Honeysuckle rose | Adrian and His Tap Room Gang | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-92580 | 10-in. | 7/9/1935 | Ain't misbehavin' | Paul Whiteman Orchestra ; Jack Teagarden | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-92915 | 10-in. | 8/2/1935 | Truckin' | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-92916 | 10-in. | 8/2/1935 | Sugar blues | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-92917 | 10-in. | 8/2/1935 | As long as the world goes 'round and 'round (And I go around with you) | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-92918 | 10-in. | 8/2/1935 | Georgia rockin' chair | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-92919 | 10-in. | 8/2/1935 | Brother, seek and ye shall find | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-92920 | 10-in. | 8/2/1935 | The girl I left behind me | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-92992 | 10-in. | 8/20/1935 | You're so darn charming | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-92993 | 10-in. | 8/20/1935 | Woe! Is me | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-92994 | 10-in. | 8/20/1935 | Rhythm and romance | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-92995 | 10-in. | 8/20/1935 | Loafin' time | Herman Autrey ; Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet and talk | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-92996 | 10-in. | 8/20/1935 | A sweet beginning like this | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-92997 | 10-in. | 8/20/1935 | Got a bran' new suit | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-92998 | 10-in. | 8/20/1935 | I'm on the see saw | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-94100 | 10-in. | 8/20/1935 | Thief in the night | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-98172 | 10-in. | 11/29/1935 | When somebody thinks you're wonderful | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-98173 | 10-in. | 11/29/1935 | I've got my fingers crossed | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-98174 | 10-in. | 11/29/1935 | Spreadin' rhythm around | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-98175 | 10-in. | 11/29/1935 | A little bit Independent | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-98176 | 10-in. | 11/29/1935 | You stayed away too long | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-98177 | 10-in. | 11/29/1935 | Sweet thing | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Waller, Fats," accessed October 31, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/101963.
Waller, Fats. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/101963.
"Waller, Fats." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 31 October 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Fats Waller
Discogs: Fats Waller
Allmusic: Fats Waller
Apple Music: Fats Waller
Grove: Fats Waller
IMSLP: Fats Waller
IMDb: Fats Waller
Britannica: Fats Waller
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Waller, Fats, 1904-1943 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n50024199
Wikidata: Fats Waller - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q310476
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/54334148
MusicBrainz: Fats Waller - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/569fc5bf-bcb6-4bc5-9a00-bd0d258e34f1
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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