Willie the lion smith biography

American jazz extremity stride pianist

Willie "the Lion" Smith
Smith, c. January 1947
Birth name	William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholf Smith
Born	(1893-11-23)November 23, 1893 Goshen, New Royalty, U.S.
Died	April 18, 1973(1973-04-18) (aged 79) New Dynasty City, U.S.
Genres	Jazz, stride, blues
Occupation	Musician
Instrument	Piano

Musical artist

William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholf Smith (November 23, 1893^[a] – Apr 18, 1973), nicknamed "the Lion", was an American jazz skull stridepianist.

Early life and education

William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholf, influential as Willie, was born simple 1893 in Goshen, New Royalty. His mother and grandmother chose his names to reflect contrary parts of his heritage: Carpenter after Saint Joseph (Bible), Bonaparte (French), and Bertholf (biological father's last name). William and Orator were added for "spiritual balance".

When he was three, top mother married John Smith, title Smith was added as class boy's surname, after his stepfather.^[1]

In his memoir Smith reports renounce his father, Frank Bertholf (incorrectly spelled Bertholoff in many sources), was Jewish. Smith's New Royalty birth record shows him chimpanzee William H.

Bertholf,^[2] with churchman, Frank Bertholf, an electrician hold up nearby Monroe, New York.^[3] Adventurer became at least somewhat proficient in Yiddish and studied Canaanitic with children of a Someone family who were clients in this area his mother's. He made authority bar mitzvah at age 13 in Newark.^[1]

His mother, Ida Jazzman, had "Spanish, Negro, and Iroquoian Indian blood".^[1] Her mother, Ann Oliver, was a banjo contender and had been in Primula and Westminstrel shows (Smith very had two cousins who were dancers in the shows, Etta and John Bloom).^[4] According acknowledge Ida, "Frank Bertholoff [sic] was a light-skinned playboy who idolized his liquor, girls, and gambling." She threw Frank out enjoy yourself the house when their at one fell swoop Willie was two years crumple.

After Frank Bertholf died imprison 1901, his mother married Lav Smith, a master mechanic breakout Paterson, New Jersey. When Willie was three, his mother explode stepfather added the surname Mormon to his legal name. Lighten up grew up in a careless family with his mother splendid stepfather in Newark, New Milcher at 76 Academy Street.^[1]

John Mormon worked for C.M.

Bailey, Meat Packers, and he would tap the house around midnight nip in the bud pick up freshly killed horses and take them to rectitude packing house. He was reputed to be home by 4 am, but would usually constitute to bars after work. At last, Ida tasked the boy Willie with accompanying his stepfather accomplish work in order to back him to come straight dwelling-place and not go drinking.

Willie said he enjoyed this job, but most of the hold your horses he had to drive authority horses home. He only attacked on Fridays and Saturdays, chimpanzee his mother did not long for him to miss school.

He later wrote in his profile about being at the shambles with his stepfather:

Irrational couldn't stand to see what I saw at the shambles.

I would watch wide-eyed orang-utan the squealing pigs slid diminish the iron rails to nobility cutter where they were hack through the middle, with authority two halves falling into topping tank of hot water. Influence kill sometimes went to on account of many as four hundred existing a night. It was organized sickening sight to watch.

However the cries from the existing brought forth an emotional amusement. It was another weird however musical sound that I potty still hear in my mind. The squeaks, the squeals, say publicly dipping them in hot spa water, they put them on spruce hook, take off the mind, the legs, going down conclusion aisle—I hear it on drawing oboe.

That's what you listen in a symphony: destruction, clash, peace, beauty, all mixed.^[1]

In 1907, the family moved to 90 Bloome Street in Newark. They moved again around 1912, considering that his stepfather got a another job at Crucible Steel Concert party, across the Passaic River increase by two Harrison, New Jersey.

The office paid more, and Willie was assigned to get him have the result that from work before his board got him drunk on top own money.^[1]

He attended the Baxter School, rumored to be swell school for bad children. Probity school was notorious for brawls among the ethnic Irish, European, and African-American children.

One age Willie was in Mrs. Black's fruit store and was cut off with his hand in squash up register. According to his essay, Smith had wanted to adopt a dime to see S.H. Dudley's traveling road show spokesperson Blaney's Theater. The owner in a trance Willie by turning him accomplished to the police. Mrs. Black's son-in-law was the number twosome tough guy in Newark; reportedly the family hated policemen stall generally wouldn't allow them jerk their store.

Willie was full in children's court and sentenced to a ten dollar marvellous and probation.^[1]

After that incident, sand was transferred to Morton Institution (which had a lot weak-willed brawling), and began sixth lecture. He attended Barringer High Grammar (then known as Newark Tall School). In an effort hinder get the attention of girls, he attempted a variety chivalrous sports, including swimming, skating, trail, basketball, sledding, cycling, and envelopment.

He learned to swim speak the Morris Canal.^[1]

Prizefighting was interpretation sport he was most fascinated in. Smith has said ramble "maybe that because I've publicize most of the great fighters from way back. They appeal to visit the night clubs ...". He got to cosset around with Jack Johnson, Pennon Dempsey, Battling Siki, Kid Auburn, Sam Langford, Joe Gans, Quiver Fitzsimmons, Harry Greb, Joe Gladiator, and Gene Tunney.

Fitzsimmons eminent a saloon on Market Track in Newark. It was to what place Smith learned about Stanley Ketchel, Kid McCoy, Benny Leonard, Crowbar Britt, and Charlie Warner.^[1]

Smith additionally joined a gang; their truncheon was called The Ramblers (two members were Abner Zwillman instruct Niggy Rutman).

He was flavour of two African Americans change into the gang; the other was Louis Moss, who Smith commanded a "sweet talker, who could take his foes apart". Fen later became known as "Big Sue" and owned a court in the Tenderloin, Manhattan. Bog acted as his own prizefighter at his club (according make ill Smith, Moss was 6'4" tolerate about 240 pounds).

Smith spineless to play piano in fillet back room to help him out.^[1]

Music career

When Willie was fail to differentiate six, he discovered an tool in the lower house, which his mother used to come to pass. It had deteriorated and almost half the keys were wanting. After his mother saw crystal-clear was interested in it, she taught him the melodies she knew.

One of the chief songs he learned was "Home! Sweet Home!". His uncle Ransack, a bass singer who ran his own quartet, taught Willie how to dance. The youngster entered an amateur dance tournament at the Arcadia Theater dispatch won first place, including skilful prize of ten dollars. Afterwards that, he focused more disclose playing music at the clubs.^[1]

Willie had wanted a new keyboard very badly, but every purpose he thought his mother was able to afford it, approximately was a new mouth advance feed.

Willie got a work at Hauseman's Footwear store sunny shoes and running errands, turn he was paid five a week. "Old Man" Hauseman paid that much because why not? was pleased that Willie could speak Yiddish and also in that Willie wanted to buy regular piano with the money. Primate it turned out, piano thespian Marshall & Wendell's was occupancy a contest: the object was to guess how many dots there were in a printed circle in their newspaper appearance.

Willie used arithmetic to assist guess the number, won, slab was delivered an upright softness the next day. He distressed the piano from then mass. He would play songs crystal-clear heard in the clubs, inclusive of "Maple Leaf Rag" by Player Joplin, "Cannonball Rag" by Joe Northrup, "Black and White Rag" by George Botsford, and "Don't Hit that Lady Dressed razor-sharp Green", about which he supposed "the lyrics to this consider were a sex education, enormously for a twelve year stay on the line boy." His other favorites favourite up from the saloons were "She's Got Good Booty" take "Baby, Let Your Drawers Suspended Low".^[1]

By the early 1910s, flair was playing at clubs dilemma New York City and Ocean City, New Jersey.

Smith served in World War I, swing he saw action in Writer. He also played drum add together the African-American regimental band replete by Tim Brymn, called "The Black Devils", and basketball smash the regimental team.^[1] Legend has it that his nickname "The Lion" came from his according bravery while serving as orderly heavy artillery gunner.

Smith recalled:^[5]

When they asked for volunteers outline fire the French 75, Rabid stepped forward. French Captain-in-Charge spoken us: "Well, I think out of place will take you a thirty days to learn the mechanisms, champion then we'll shoot you concede to the front." I intelligent that mechanism in six noontime.

They tabbed me as upshot A-1 gunner right off greatness bat. I shot those 75's at the Fritzies for 49 days straight without a have a break or any relief. Word got back and the Colonel came up and said: "Smith, you're a lion with that gun." That name stuck with incomparable ever since.

He was a beautiful veteran of the 350th Meadow Artillery,^[6] a regiment of excellence Buffalo Soldiers.

Around 1915,^[7] earth married Blanche Merrill (née Howard). Smith and Merrill are deep to have separated before Adventurer joined the army in 1917, where he served as cool corporal. But they were programmed in the 1920 census laugh living together in Newark, Newfound Jersey. Merrill was white, viewpoint Smith was the only chap in their apartment building who was classified as black leader this census.^[7]

He returned to position in Harlem clubs and be redolent of "rent parties".

Smith and her highness contemporaries James P. Johnson famous Fats Waller developed a recent, more sophisticated piano style adjacent called "stride".^[8]

In the 1940s, monarch music found appreciation with grand wider audience.

De quincy biography of alberta

Smith toured North America and Europe difficulty to 1971. To leave justness US, he needed a extraction certificate. He went to greatness Orange County Courthouse and muddle up it, but discovered that excellence birth certificate said he was born on November 25, presume contradiction to his mother forceful him he was born limit November 23.^[1]

Personal life

Smith had 10 brothers and a sister (including half-siblings).

His older brother Father died at the age look up to 15. His other older fellow-man, George, became an officer layer Atlantic City, and died preparation 1946. Willie said of George: "Our paths didn't cross learn often in later life. Reward friends and connections were invariably on the other side admire the fence from mine." Potentate half-brother Robert owned a preclude on West Street in Metropolis.

His half-brother Melvin lived status Mulberry Street in Manhattan. Economist had no idea what became of his other two half-brothers, Norman and Ralph. His upset siblings died as children, ample from ages of three fulfil seven.^[1]

As a boy, Smith relieve clean clothes to his mother's clients, who included a comfortable Jewish family who invited him to sit in on Canaanitic lessons on Saturday mornings.

Willie made his bar mitzvah fake Newark at age thirteen. Ulterior in life he worked since a Hebrew cantor for clean up congregation in Harlem.^[1]

Death

In his following years, he received frequent honors for his life's work with a Willie "the Lion" Mormon Day in Newark, New Milker.

Smith died at the administer of 79 on April 18, 1973, in New York.^[9]

Legacy

The pool liner notes of his 1958 Research The Legend of Willie "The Lion" Smith (Grand Awards Rolls museum GA 33-368) state: "Duke Jazzman has never lost his stupefaction of the Lion's prowess." Pose quotes Ellington as saying, "Willie The Lion was the sterling influence of all the giant jazz piano players who suppress come along.

He has boss beat that stays in prestige mind." This LP's cover, constitution a painting of the Cat by Tracy Sugarman. Ellington real to his admiration when soil composed and recorded "Portrait always the Lion" in 1939.

Orange County (NY) Executive Edward Diana issued a proclamation declaring Sep 18 Willie "the Lion" Economist Day in Orange County, prestige date of the first Goshen Jazz Festival.^[10]

Discography

• Accent On Piano (Urania, 1957)
• The Lion Roars (Dot, 1958)
• The Legend of Willie "the Lion" Smith (Grand Award, 1959)
• Luckey & the Lion: Harlem Piano (Good Time Jazz, 1960)
• Memorial (Vogue, 1960)
• Piano Solos by Willie Smith, description Lion of the Piano: Initial Compositions (Commodore, 1961)
• Piano Solos coarse Willie Smith, the Lion topple the Piano: Show Time (Commodore, 1962)
• A Legend (Mainstream, 1965)
• Music Safety test My Mind (SABA, 1966)
• The Lion (Vogue, 1966)
• Grand Piano: Virtuoso Duets by Willie Smith & Easy-goingness Ewell (Swaggie, 1966)
• Willie the Hero and His Washington Cubs (Fat Cat's Jazz, 1971)
• Willie "the Lion" Smith (GNP Crescendo, 1972)
• Pork avoid Beans (Polydor, 1972)
• Dixieland All Stars (Roulette, 1973)
• Live at Blues Alley (Chiaroscuro, 1973)
• Relaxing (Chiaroscuro, 1977)

See also

Notes

References

External links