Fats Waller
Fats Waller, real name Thomas Waller (1904-43). Black. US jazz pianist and composer. He played the organ in his father’s church before becoming a pianist in cabarets. During the 1930s he helped to pioneer `stride’ style, derived from ragtime. He is remembered for compositions such as `Honeysuckle Rose’ and `Ain’t Misbehavin”, and for his role in the film Stormy Weather (1943).
