Thomas Wright Waller was the youngest of four children, born in New York to Adeline Locket Waller and Reverend Edward Martin Waller. He started playing the piano when he was six and graduated to the organ of his father's church four years later. At the age of fourteen he was playing the organ at Harlem's Lincoln Theater and within twelve months he had composed his first rag. Waller's first piano solos ("Muscle Shoals Blues" and "Birmingham Blues") were recorded in October 1922 when he was 18 years old.
He was the prize pupil, and later friend and colleague, of stride pianist James P. Johnson. Fats Waller was the son of a preacher and learned to play the organ in church with his mother. Overcoming opposition from his clergyman father, Waller became a professional pianist at 15, working in cabarets and theaters. In 1918 he won a talent contest playing Johnson's "Carolina Shout", a song he learned from watching a player piano play it.
Waller was one of the most popular performers of his era, finding critical and commercial success in his homeland and in Europe. He was also a prolific songwriter and many songs he wrote or co-wrote are still popular, such as "Honeysuckle Rose", "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Squeeze Me". Fellow pianist and composer Oscar Levant dubbed Waller "the black Horowitz". Waller composed many novelty tunes in the 1920s and 1930s and sold them for relatively small sums. When the compositions became hits, other songwriters claimed them as their own. Many standards are alternatively and sometimes controversially attributed to Waller. Waller's son Maurice wrote in his 1977 biography of his father, that once he was playing "I Can't Give You Anything but Love, Baby" when he heard his father complaining from upstairs and came down and admonished him never to play that song in his hearing, saying that he had to sell that song when he needed some money. He even made a recording of it in 1938 with Adelaide Hall who, coincidentally, had introduced the song to the world (at Les Ambassadeurs Club in New York in 1928), in which he played the tune but made fun of the lyrics. Likewise, Maurice noted his father's objections whenever he heard "On the Sunny Side of the Street" played on the radio.
The anonymous sleeve notes on the 1960 RCA (UK) album Handful of Keys state that Waller copyrighted over 400 new songs, many of which 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".[citation needed] Gene Sedric, a clarinetist who played with Waller on some of his 1930s recordings, is quoted in these same sleeve notes recalling Waller's recording technique with considerable admiration: "Fats was the most relaxed man I ever saw in a studio, and so he made everybody else relaxed. After a balance had been taken, we'd just need one take to make a side, unless it was a kind of difficult number."
Waller played with many performers, from Nat Shilkret (on Victor 21298-A) and Gene Austin to Erskine Tate to Adelaide Hall, but his greatest success came with his own five- or six-piece combo, "Fats Waller and his Rhythm".
His playing once put him at risk of injury. Waller was kidnapped in Chicago leaving a performance in 1926. Four men bundled him into a car and took him to the Hawthorne Inn, owned by Al Capone. Waller was ordered inside the building, and found a party in full swing. Gun to his back, he was pushed towards a piano, and told to play. A terrified Waller realized he was the "surprise guest" at Capone's birthday party, and took comfort that the gangsters did not intend to kill him. According to rumor, Waller played for three days. When he left the Hawthorne Inn, he was very drunk, extremely tired, and had earned thousands of dollars in cash from Capone and other party-goers as tips.
In 1926, Waller began his recording association with Victor Records, his principal record company for the rest of his life, with the organ solos "St. Louis Blues" and his own composition, "Lenox Avenue Blues". Although he recorded with various groups, including Morris's Hot Babes (1927), Fats Waller's Buddies (1929) (one of the earliest interracial groups to record), and McKinney's Cotton Pickers (1929), his most important contribution to the Harlem stride piano tradition was a series of solo recordings of his own compositions: "Handful of Keys", "Smashing Thirds", "Numb Fumblin'", and "Valentine Stomp" (1929). After sessions with Ted Lewis (1931), Jack Teagarden (1931), and Billy Banks's Rhythmakers (1932), he began in May 1934 the voluminous series of recordings with a small band known as Fats Waller and his Rhythm. This six-piece group usually included Herman Autrey (sometimes replaced by Bill Coleman or John "Bugs" Hamilton), Gene Sedric or Rudy Powell, and Al Casey.
Waller wrote "Squeeze Me" (1919), "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now", "Ain't Misbehavin'" (1929), "Blue Turning Grey Over You", "I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling" (1929), "Honeysuckle Rose" (1929), and "Jitterbug Waltz" (1942). He collaborated with the Tin Pan Alley lyricist Andy Razaf. He composed stride piano display pieces such as "Handful of Keys", "Valentine Stomp" and "Viper's Drag".[citation needed]
He enjoyed success touring the United Kingdom and Ireland in the 1930s. He appeared in one of the first BBC broadcasts. While in Britain, Waller also recorded a number of songs for EMI on their Compton Theatre organ located in their Abbey Road Studios in St John's Wood. He appeared in several feature films and short subject films, most notably "Stormy Weather" in 1943, which was released July 21, just months before his death. For the hit Broadway show, "Hot Chocolates", he and Razaf wrote "(What Did I Do to Be So) Black and Blue" (1929), which became a hit for Ethel Waters and Louis Armstrong.
Waller performed Bach organ pieces for small groups on occasion. Waller influenced many pre-bop jazz pianists; Count Basie and Erroll Garner have both reanimated his hit songs (notably, "Ain't Misbehavin'"). In addition to his playing, Waller was known for his many quips during his performances.
Between 1926 and the end of 1927, Waller recorded a series of pipe organ solo records. These represent the first time syncopated jazz compositions were performed on a full sized church organ.
Waller contracted pneumonia and died on a cross country train trip near Kansas City, Missouri on December 15, 1943, after making a final recording session with an interracial group in Detroit that included white trumpeter Don Hirleman. He was on his way back to Hollywood for more film work, after the smash success of "Stormy Weather". Coincidentally, as the train with the body of Waller stopped in Kansas City, so stopped a train with his dear friend Louis Armstrong on board.
Revival and awards
2008 Gennett Records Walk of Fame
2005 Jazz at Lincoln Center: Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame
1993 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
1989 Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame
1970 Songwriters Hall of Fame
Recordings of Fats Waller were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame which is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honour recordings that are at least 25 years old and that have "qualitative or historical significance".
Fats Waller: Grammy Hall of Fame Awards
1934 "Honeysuckle Rose" Jazz (Single) Victor in 1998
1929 "Ain't Misbehavin'" Jazz (Single) Victor in 1984 Listed in the National Recording Registry
by the Library of Congress in 2004.
Subject of the Irish poet Michael Longley's "Elegy for Fats Waller".
Waller's organ music is prominently featured in the David Lynch film Eraserhead.
He was caricatured in several Warner Brothers animated shorts, most notably Tin Pan Alley Cats.
In the 2008 film, Be Kind Rewind Fats Waller was a major theme and influence for the storyline.
Italian comics book artist Igort published a comic book about Waller entitled Fats Waller on Coconino Press in 2009.
Some of Waller's music ("Jitterbug Waltz") is used in the video game series BioShock.
Waller's version of "Louisiana Fairytale" was used for many years as the theme song to This Old House.
A Broadway musical revue showcasing Waller tunes entitled Ain't Misbehavin' was produced in 1978. (The show and a star of the show, Nell Carter, won Tony Awards.) The show opened at the Longacre Theatre and ran for over 1600 performances. It was revived on Broadway in 1988. Performed by five African American actors, it included such songs as "Honeysuckle Rose", "This Joint Is Jumpin'", and "Ain't Misbehavin'".
Dem Bones Dem Dry Bones
Fats Waller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The leg bone connected to the knee bone,
The knee bone connected to the thigh bone,
The thigh bone connected to the back bone,
The back bone connected to the neck bone,
The neck bone connected to the head bone,
Oh, hear the word of the Lord!
Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk aroun'
Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk aroun′
Oh, hear the word of the Lord.
The head bone connected to the neck bone,
The neck bone connected to the back bone,
The back bone connected to the thigh bone,
The thigh bone connected to the knee bone,
The knee bone connected to the leg bone,
The leg bone connected to the foot bone,
Oh, hear the word of the Lord!
Fats Waller's song Dem Bones Dem Dry Bones is a catchy and playful tune that is just as much fun to sing as it is to listen to. However, the lyrics themselves hold a deeper message. The song takes its inspiration from the biblical story of Ezekiel, where God breathes life into a pile of bones, eventually reassembling them into fully functioning bodies. Each verse of the song describes how each bone in the body is connected to the other, leading up to the creation of a complete human form, able to "walk around". The repeating line "oh, hear the word of the Lord!" is a call to listen to the message of the story of Ezekiel, which speaks of the power of faith and the ability of God to bring dead things back to life.
Line by Line Meaning
The foot bone connected to the leg bone,
This line signifies that every part of our body is interdependent with each other and connected in some way.
The leg bone connected to the knee bone,
The leg bone and knee bone have a direct connection and the proper functioning of one is dependent on the proper functioning of the other one.
The knee bone connected to the thigh bone,
The knee bone and thigh bone are interconnected and our movement depends on both of these bones working properly.
The thigh bone connected to the back bone,
The thigh bone and the back bone are connected, and good posture is reliant on the proper functioning of these parts.
The back bone connected to the neck bone,
The health of the back bone is directly connected to the health of the neck bone and vice versa.
The neck bone connected to the head bone,
Our ability to move our head properly and without pain is reliant on a healthy neck bone.
Oh, hear the word of the Lord!
This line has religious meaning and serves as a warning to people to pay attention to what the Lord is saying.
Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk aroun′
This line conveys the idea that even after death, our bones will still be connected and can move around.
Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk aroun'
The repetition of this line emphasizes the idea that the bones will still be connected even after death and serve a purpose.
Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk aroun′
Another repetition of the line to reinforce the idea that our body parts remain connected even after death.
The head bone connected to the neck bone,
As previously stated, the head and neck bones are directly connected and have a significant impact on our posture and mobility.
The neck bone connected to the back bone,
This line reiterates the connection between the neck bone and the back bone and the impact they have on one's physical health.
The back bone connected to the thigh bone,
This line emphasizes the importance of the back bone and how it is interconnected with other parts of the body like the thigh bone.
The thigh bone connected to the knee bone,
The thigh and knee bones have a significant impact on the body's movement, and any issue with one can impact the proper functioning of the other.
The knee bone connected to the leg bone,
The knee bone and leg bone are also integral to our movement and their proper functioning is necessary for good physical health.
The leg bone connected to the foot bone,
The leg bone and foot bone are connected and work together for the proper movement and alignment of our lower body.
Oh, hear the word of the Lord!
The repetition of this line serves as a reminder to listen to what the Lord is saying and to take heed of His teachings.
Writer(s): Fats Waller
Contributed by Addison J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@nicmart
Fats's music is one of America's great treasures.
@OhnoesJG
i like how he says "conneca" instead of connect LOL
@FabioPBarbieri
Man, there were giants on the Earth in those days....
@EmorySimsDrEmoryCarlSims
You can say that again. They didn't realize that they were achieving greatness while being limited to having access to the basic things in life such as sharing public restrooms with whites, being able to staying at hotels the same as whites, being able to eat at restaurants the same as whites, and most of all, having their education restricted because they weren't allowed to attend the same schools as whites something that most of today's black kids don't appreciate and don't care about. They have thrown all this valuable history lesson away for the foolishness of rap music and hip-hop that does nothing but degrade themselves, and other people with their bad and negative influences on society. They lived under a very restricted and segregated society despite their talents and desire to love and entertain all.
@nicmart
So true. This list is long. Basie, Ellington, Holiday, Satch, Hawkins, Monk... I was lucky to grow up in a jazz house. I love Fats more than any of my dead relations.
@chess1458
Old School At Its Finest,Thanks 4 Sharing!!!!!!!
@davidmarks509
what a wonderful sound they got.
@uhanepono
I like how he says anything!
@FauxCapone
I feel so damn evil with this song playing. >:D
@Sprongo
A song for the Man.