Fats Waller

On December 15, 1943, at age 39, Waller died aboard an eastbound train in the vicinity of Kansas City, Missouri, following a west coast engagement. By the mid-1990s, though, Yellowman released socially conscious material, rising to international fame as part of a popularization led by singers like Buju Banton. This song, a searing treatment of racism, black and white, calls into question the accusations of "shallow entertainment" levelled at both Armstrong and Waller. Violent and sexually explicit lyrics earned Yellowman some criticism in the mid-1980s, along with most of the rest of the ragga community. With Razaf he wrote "What Did I Do (To Be So Black and Blue)?" 1929 which became a hit for Louis Armstrong. His exaggerated sexual prowess, combined with his long-time social outcast status as an albino (who are denigrated in Jamaica), made Yellowman very popular. He also appeared in several feature films and short subject films, most notably "Stormy Weather" in 1943. He was extremely popular in Jamaica in the 1980s, coming to prominence with a series of funky, sexy singles that established his reputation.

Waller also made a successful tour of the British Isles in the late 1930's, and appeared in one of the earliest BBC Television broadcasts. Yellowman (born Winston Foster in 1956 or 1959) is a Jamaican dub, ragga and dancehall musician. His weight and drinking are believed to have contributed to his death. Photograph of Yellowman (http://www.reggaephotos.com/images/Yellowman_7-5-03/Yellowman_009.jpg). His nickname came about because he weighed nearly 300 pounds (136 kg). He collaborated with the Tin Pan Alley lyricist Andy Razaf and had a commercially successful career, which according to some music critics eclipsed his great musical talent.

Among his songs are "Squeeze Me" 1919, "Ain't Misbehavin'" 1929, "Blue Turning Grey Over You" 1930, "Honeysuckle Rose" 1929, "I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling" 1929, and "Jitterbug Waltz" 1942. Before his solo career, he played with many performers, from Erskine Tate to Bessie Smith, but his greatest success came with his own five- or six-piece combo, "Fats Waller and his Rhythm". He was an excellent pianist--now usually considered one of the very best who ever played in the stride style--but his songwriting and his lovable, roguish stage personality ("One never knows, do one?") overshadowed his playing. Johnson introduced Waller to the world of rent parties (a party with a piano player, designed to help pay the rent by charging the guests), and soon he developed a performing career.

Johnson. Waller studied classical piano and organ before apprenticing himself to legendary Harlem stride pianist James P. He was born Thomas Wright Waller in New York City. Fats Waller (May 21, 1904 - December 15, 1943) was an African-American jazz pianist, organist, composer and comedic entertainer.

Download sample of "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie" by Fats Waller.