Willie « The Lion » Smith

piano, composition · 1897–1973 · Goshen (New York)

An artilleryman in France during World War I, he became, with James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, one of the stars of Harlem's rent parties and piano contests. A major influence on the young Duke Ellington, he published his autobiography, Music on My Mind, in 1964.

Profile not yet validated. Written by Jazzency, not yet proofread: dates and facts to be confirmed.

Styles

• Stride (Harlem piano)

Landmark tracks

• Echoes of Spring (1939)

Sources

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