- Born
- Died
- Birth nameThomas Wright Waller
- Height6′ (1.83 m)
- Thomas Waller was born in 1904. He was one of the most important pianist in the history of jazz. He studied piano with James P. Johnson, one of the masters of the stride piano in the 1920s. Fats began recording his first piano solos in 1923. He worked in the revue "Hot Chocolates" in the late 1920s as a composer. Along with Duke Ellington, he is one of the most prolific composers in jazz. His best songs are, "Ain't Misbehavin' ", "Honeysuckle Rose", "Black and Blue", "Blue Turned Grey Over You" and "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now". He formed his own group in 1934, Fats Waller and his Rhythm, and recorded many records for RCA Victor. Two of his most notable film appearances were in Stormy Weather (1943) and King of Burlesque (1936). He died in 1943 on a train during a trip to California. He was just 39 years old.- IMDb mini biography by: Eric Nesich (christyjazz45).
- SpousesAnita Priscilla Rutherford(1926 - December 15, 1943) (his death, 2 children)Edith Hatchet(1920 - 1923) (divorced, 1 child)
- ChildrenThomas Waller Jr.Maurice WallerRonald Waller
- ParentsEdward Martin WallerAdeline Lockett
- RelativesDorian Waller(Grandchild)Darren Waller(Great Grandchild)Deanna Waller(Great Grandchild)Alfred W. Waller(Sibling)William Robert Waller(Sibling)Thadeus Waller(Sibling)Edward Lawrence Waller(Sibling)William Waller(Sibling)May Naomi Washington(Sibling)Samuel Waller(Sibling)Esther Waller(Sibling)Adelaide Waller(Sibling)Edith Waller(Sibling)
- So popular was he that one evening in Chicago in 1926, he was kidnapped by four henchmen and driven to the Hawthorne Inn, owned by infamous gangster Al Capone . He found out he was the "surprise entertainment" for Capone's birthday party! There Fats played songs for 3 days, was treated like Royalty and left with pockets full of money.
- Inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1989.
- His nickname came about because he weighed nearly 300 pounds. His weight and extreme drinking habits are believed to been contributors to his death. Waller died of pneumonia aboard an eastbound train in the vicinity of Kansas City, Missouri, following a West Coast engagement.
- Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.
- Jazz pianist and vocalist.
- One never knows, do one?
- What's jazz, lady? If you don't know, I can't tell you.
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