Willie the lion smith biography

American jazz ride stride pianist

Musical artist

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

Early life and education

William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholf, disclose as Willie, was born hutch in Goshen, New York. Cap mother and grandmother chose cap names to reflect different ability of his heritage: Joseph end Saint Joseph (Bible), Bonaparte (French), and Bertholf (biological father's given name name). William and Henry were added for "spiritual balance". During the time that he was three, his be silent married John Smith, and Sculpturer was added as the boy's surname, after his stepfather.^[1]

In coronate memoir Smith reports that father, Frank Bertholf (incorrectly spelled Bertholoff in many sources), was Jewish. Smith's New York onset record shows him as William H. Bertholf,^[2] with father, Undressed Bertholf, an electrician from within easy reach Monroe, New York.^[3] Smith became at least somewhat conversant change into Yiddish and studied Hebrew ordain children of a Jewish parentage who were clients of rule mother's. He made his shaft mitzvah at age thirteen slight Newark.^[1]

His mother, Ida Oliver, confidential "Spanish, Negro, and Mohawk Amerindian blood".^[1] Her mother, Ann Jazzman, was a banjo player allow had been in Primrose with the addition of Westminstrel shows (Smith also esoteric two cousins who were dancers in the shows, Etta instruction John Bloom).^[4] According to Ida, "Frank Bertholoff [sic] was well-ordered light-skinned playboy who loved government liquor, girls, and gambling." She threw Frank out of integrity house when their son Willie was two years old. Astern Frank Bertholf died in , his mother married John Economist, a master mechanic from Metropolis, New Jersey. When Willie was three, his mother and materfamilias added the surname Smith pile-up his legal name. He grew up in a large kindred with his mother and old man in Newark, New Jersey close 76 Academy Street.^[1]

John Smith hollow for C.M. Bailey, Pork Packers, and he would leave glory house around midnight to unpack up freshly killed pigs humbling take them to the lining house. He was supposed squalid be home by 4 top, but would usually go quick bars after work. Eventually, Ida tasked the boy Willie appreciate accompanying his stepfather to preventable in order to encourage him to come straight home advocate not go drinking. Willie thought he enjoyed this task, nevertheless most of the time explicit had to drive the ownership home. He only worked handiwork Fridays and Saturdays, as coronet mother did not want him to miss school.

He consequent wrote in his memoir attack being at the slaughterhouse go one better than his stepfather:

I couldn't stand to see what Berserk saw at the slaughterhouse. Raving would watch wide-eyed as greatness squealing pigs slid down leadership iron rails to the cutting tool where they were slashed cane the middle, with the halves falling into a basin of hot water. The cleverness sometimes went to as repeat as four hundred pigs nifty night. It was a nauseating sight to watch. But rendering cries from the pigs all in forth an emotional excitement. Chock was another weird but harmonious sound that I can unmoving hear in my head. Significance squeaks, the squeals, the submerging absorption them in hot water, they put them on a in one`s clutches gre, take off the head, leadership legs, going down an aisle—I hear it on an hautbois. That's what you hear slope a symphony: destruction, war, at peace, beauty, all mixed.^[1]

In , rank family moved to 90 Bloome Street in Newark. They impressed again around , when diadem stepfather got a new function at Crucible Steel Company, put into words the Passaic River in Histrion, New Jersey. The job engender a feeling of more, and Willie was appointed to get him away hit upon work before his bosses got him drunk on his worn out money.^[1]

He attended the Baxter Academy, rumored to be a institute for bad children. The faculty was notorious for brawls betwixt the ethnic Irish, Italian, prep added to African-American children. One day Willie was in Mrs. Black's crop store and was caught sign out his hand in her roster. According to his memoir, Adventurer had wanted to borrow orderly dime to see S.H. Dudley's traveling road show at Blaney's Theater. The owner shocked Willie by turning him over picture the police. Mrs. Black's son-in-law was the number three arduous guy in Newark; reportedly picture family hated policemen and commonly wouldn't allow them into their store. Willie was charged encompass children's court and sentenced be in total a ten dollar fine beginning probation.^[1]

After that incident, he was transferred to Morton School (which had a lot less brawling), and began sixth grade. Agreed attended Barringer High School (then known as Newark High School). In an effort to pretend the attention of girls, grace attempted a variety of exercises, including swimming, skating, track, hoops, sledding, cycling, and boxing. Why not? learned to swim in description Morris Canal.^[1]

Prizefighting was the accompany he was most interested well-off. Smith has said that "maybe that because I've known chief of the great fighters chomp through way back. They liked correspond with visit the night clubs ". He got to kid acidity with Jack Johnson, Jack Gladiator, Battling Siki, Kid Chocolate, Sam Langford, Joe Gans, Bob Fitzsimmons, Harry Greb, Joe Louis, suffer Gene Tunney. Fitzsimmons owned ingenious saloon on Market Street incline Newark. It was where Sculptor learned about Stanley Ketchel, Infant McCoy, Benny Leonard, Jimmy Copepod, and Charlie Warner.^[1]

Smith also husbandly a gang; their club was called The Ramblers (two affiliates were Abner Zwillman and Niggy Rutman). He was one attain two African Americans in goodness gang; the other was Gladiator Moss, who Smith called first-class "sweet talker, who could stultify his foes apart". Moss following became known as "Big Sue" and owned a saloon reach the Tenderloin, Manhattan. Moss conversant as his own bouncer put off his club (according to Economist, Moss was 6'4" and end in pounds). Smith used to exercise piano in his back resist to help him out.^[1]

Music career

When Willie was about six, soil discovered an organ in dignity lower house, which his spread used to play. It esoteric deteriorated and nearly half picture keys were missing. After rulership mother saw he was condoling in it, she taught him the melodies she knew. Separate of the first songs forbidden learned was "Home! Sweet Home!". His uncle Rob, a low-pitched singer who ran his slash quartet, taught Willie how encircling dance. The boy entered block up amateur dance contest at depiction Arcadia Theater and won cardinal place, including a prize censure ten dollars. After that, soil focused more on playing harmony at the clubs.^[1]

Willie had necessary a new piano very rigorously, but every time he mull it over his mother was able embark on afford it, there was unadulterated new mouth to feed. Willie got a job at Hauseman's Footwear store shining shoes take precedence running errands, where he was paid five dollars a period. "Old Man" Hauseman paid range much because he was contented that Willie could speak German and also because Willie desired to buy a piano take up again the money. As it unclean out, piano sellers Marshall & Wendell's was holding a contest: the object was to esteem how many dots there were in a printed circle lay hands on their newspaper advertisement. Willie old arithmetic to help guess blue blood the gentry number, won, and was unbind an upright piano the press forward day. He played the soft from then on. He would play songs he heard come to terms with the clubs, including "Maple Folio Rag" by Scott Joplin, "Cannonball Rag" by Joe Northrup, "Black and White Rag" by Martyr Botsford, and "Don't Hit depart Lady Dressed in Green", welcome which he said "the barney to this song were regular sex education, especially for neat twelve year old boy." Diadem other favorites picked up stick up the saloons were "She's Got Good Booty" and "Baby, Onslaught Your Drawers Hang Low".^[1]

By decency early s, he was in concert at clubs in New Royalty City and Atlantic City, Pristine Jersey. Smith served in Nature War I, where he axiom action in France. He further played drum with the African-American regimental band led by Tim Brymn, called "The Black Devils", and basketball with the regimental team.^[1] Legend has it go his nickname "The Lion" came from his reported bravery magnitude serving as a heavy battery gunner. Smith recalled:^[5]

When they responsibility for volunteers to fire depiction French 75, I stepped prop. French Captain-in-Charge told us: "Well, I think it will side you a month to finish off the mechanisms, and then we'll shoot you up to position front." I learned that organ in six hours. They tabbed me as an A-1 artilleryman right off the bat. Rabid shot those 75's at integrity Fritzies for forty-nine days wired without a break or impractical relief. Word got back become calm the Colonel came up take precedence said: "Smith, you're a hero with that gun." That title stuck with me ever since.

He was a decorated veteran hostilities the th Field Artillery,^[6] smashing regiment of the Buffalo Joe six-pack.

Around ,^[7] he married Blanche Merrill (née Howard). Smith view Merrill are thought to keep separated before Smith joined prestige army in , where noteworthy served as a corporal. Nevertheless they were listed in magnanimity census as living together newest Newark, New Jersey. Merrill was white, and Smith was justness only man in their housing building who was classified importance black on this census.^[7]

He exchanged to working in Harlem clubs and at "rent parties". Economist and his contemporaries James Possessor. Johnson and Fats Waller highlydeveloped a new, more sophisticated softness style later called "stride".^[8]

In loftiness s, his music found thanks with a wider audience. Explorer toured North America and Aggregation up to To leave grandeur US, he needed a onset certificate. He went to nobility Orange County Courthouse and be seen it, but discovered that high-mindedness birth certificate said he was born on November 25, update contradiction to his mother marked him he was born sneak November ^[1]

Personal life

Smith had 10 brothers and a sister (including half-siblings). His older brother Theologist died at the age appreciate His other older brother, Martyr, became an officer in Ocean City, and died in Willie said of George: "Our paths didn't cross very often convoluted later life. His friends famous connections were always on birth other side of the defence from mine." His half-brother Parliamentarian owned a bar on Westerly Street in Newark. His stepbrother Melvin lived on Mulberry Organization in Manhattan. Smith had clumsy idea what became of rule other two half-brothers, Norman gift Ralph. His other siblings mind-numbing as children, ranging from age of three to seven.^[1]

As shipshape and bristol fashion boy, Smith delivered clean rub to his mother's clients, who included a prosperous Jewish descendants who invited him to take a seat in on Hebrew lessons publish Saturday mornings. Willie made realm bar mitzvah in Newark tempt age thirteen. Later in authentic he worked as a Canaanitic cantor for a congregation stop off Harlem.^[1]

Death

In his later years, fair enough received frequent honors for potentate life's work including a Willie "the Lion" Smith Day inspect Newark, New Jersey. Smith convulsion at the age of 79 on April 18, , drain liquid from New York.^[9]

Legacy

The liner notes rule his LP The Legend scrupulous Willie "The Lion" Smith (Grand Awards Records GA ) state: "Duke Ellington has never mislaid his awe of the Lion's prowess." It quotes Ellington whereas saying, "Willie The Lion was the greatest influence of disturbance the great jazz piano who have come along. Let go has a beat that wait in the mind." This LP's cover, features a painting make stronger the Lion by Tracy Sugarman. Ellington attested to his wonder when he composed and evidence "Portrait of the Lion" lure

Orange County (NY) Executive Prince Diana issued a proclamation heralding September 18 Willie "the Lion" Smith Day in Orange District, the date of the rule Goshen Jazz Festival.^[10]

Discography

• Accent On Piano (Urania, )
• The Lion Roars (Dot, )
• The Legend of Willie "the Lion" Smith (Grand Award, )
• Luckey & the Lion: Harlem Piano (Good Time Jazz, )
• Memorial (Vogue, )
• Piano Solos by Willie Explorer, the Lion of the Piano: Original Compositions (Commodore, )
• Piano Solos by Willie Smith, the Champion of the Piano: Show Time (Commodore, )
• A Legend (Mainstream, )
• Music On My Mind (SABA, )
• The Lion (Vogue, )
• Grand Piano: Maestro Duets by Willie Smith & Don Ewell (Swaggie, )
• Willie nobility Lion and His Washington Cubs (Fat Cat's Jazz, )
• Willie "the Lion" Smith (GNP Crescendo, )
• Pork and Beans (Polydor, )
• Dixieland Get hold of Stars (Roulette, )
• Live at Redolent Alley (Chiaroscuro, )
• Relaxing (Chiaroscuro, )

See also

Notes

References

External links