Fats Waller

This article was written by Samuel Phineas Upham

At the age of 6, Thomas Wright Waller learned the piano. The boy who would become “Fats” took up the organ, violin and string bass within a few years. He dropped out of school when he was 15, choosing to pursue music instead. He quickly joined a band at the Lincoln Theater in Harlem, but his father was hopeful that Fats would turn to religion.

The two would argue about his life’s ambitions frequently. His father was a Baptist minister who wanted his son to follow in his footsteps. Fats found the draw of music irresistible, and when his mother died his path became clear. Waller moved from his family home to live with Russell B.T. Brooks, who introduced young Waller to James P. Johnson and ultimately to the jazz piano.

Waller debuted in 1922 with a solo recording. The song “Squeeze Me” was the first indication that he was a talented song writer. He continued at the Lincoln, but expanded his horizons to include Chicago and Philadelphia clubs too. He became a set piece at “rent parties” all throughout Harlem, and was known for his larger-than-life persona.

Waller saw an opportunity in radio, and took his music mainstream. He formed the Fats Waller Rythym Club in 1932, which blossomed into a radio club by 1934. He also appeared in two films from Hollywood. Waller had a pretty intense schedule, which finally caught up with him in 1943. He contracted bronchial pneumonia, which forever silenced one of the world’s premier jazz pianists.


About the Author: Samuel Phineas Upham is an investor at a family office/hedgefund, where he focuses on special situation illiquid investing. Before this position, Samuel Phineas Upham was working at Morgan Stanley in the Media & Technology group. You may contact Samuel Phineas Upham on his Facebook page.