Fats+Waller+by+Jaxon

//**By: Jaxon**//  //**When and where Fats Waller was born and how he died.**//

Fats Waller was a jazz musician. He was born May 21, 1904 in New York City. He unexpectedly died of pneumonia at the age of 39 on a train in Kansas City, Missouri on December 15, 1943.


 * Other facts on Fats Waller.**

He was one of the most important jazz pianist in history. He was also one of the most prolific composers in jazz. He formed his own group in 1934 called //Fats and his Rhythm//. Fats' nickname came about because he weighed nearly 300 lb. Fats Waller was so popular that one evening in Chicago in 1926, he was kidnapped by four henchmen and driven to the Hawthorne Inn owned by the infamous gangster Al Capone so he could be the entertainment for Capone's birthday. Fats began recording his first piano solos in 1923. Fats Waller's real name was Thomas Wright Waller. Some of Fats' best songs are Ain't Misbehavin, Honeysuckle Rose, Black and Blue, Blue Turned Grey Over You, and Keepin' Out of Mischief Now. Two of Fats Waller's most notable films were in Stormy Weather (1943) and King of Burlesque (1935). Fats was the son of a preacher and learned to play the organ in church with his mother. His big break occurred at a party given by George Gershwin in 1934 where he delighted the crowd with his piano playing and singing. Waller's rollicking style and sense of humor made him a popular star and his output was tremendous. He had a reputation for living wild and it eventually caught up to him when he died on a train trip to Kansas after catching pneumonia. Many of Waller's vocal and piano performances of his own and others were reissued in the 1970's.


 * Fats Waller Quiz:**


 * Q:** **Who was Fats Waller?**
 * A:** **He was one of the most important people in jazz history.**


 * Q:** **What instruments did Fats play?**
 * A:** **He played the keyboard, piano, organ, and the violin.**


 * Q:** **When did Fats Waller begin recording his first piano solos?**
 * A:** **In 1923**


 * Q:** **How did Fats die?**
 * A: On a train trip in Kansas City, Missouri of pneumonia.**


 * Q:** **Where did Fats Waller get kidnapped?**
 * A: In Chicago 1926.**


 * Q:** **Why is Fats Waller famous?**
 * A: Because he was good at what he did.**

My websites:

Fats Waller: Biography from Answers.com

Fats Waller: IMDb.com