Composers
Henry Fillmore
Composers
Karl L. King
Composers
Karl L. King
1891–31 March 1971
Karl Lawrence King, a native of Paintersville, Ohio, grew up as a self-taught musician with very little schooling of any kind. At eighteen, he began a career playing in and directing circus bands, including those of Barnum and Bailey, Robinson Famous Shows, the Sells-Floto Circus, and Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. King settled down in Fort Dodge, Iowa in 1920 and for the next fifty-one years conducted the city's municipal band.
John Philip Sousa
Composers
John Philip Sousa popularly known as "The March King", was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known particularly for American military marches.
Sousa was born in Washington D.C. to John António de Sousa and Maria Elisabeth Trinkhaus. His parents were of Portuguese and Bavarian (German) descent. John first learned the violin beginning at age 6. When the young Sousa reached the age of 13, his father, a trombonist in the Marine Band, enlisted his son in the United States Marine Corps as an apprentice, shortly after he attempted to run away and join a circus. John served his apprenticeship for 7 years, until 1875, apparently learning to play all the wind instruments, and maintaining his skills on the violin.
Several years later, John left his apprenticeship to join a theatrical (pit) orchestra where he learned to conduct. He returned to the U.S. Marine Band as its head in 1880, and remained as its conductor until 1892. Sousa also led the marching band of Gonzaga College High School.
Sousa organized his own band in 1892. It toured widely, and in 1900, represented the United States at the Paris Exposition before touring Europe. Sousa repeatedly refused to conduct on the radio, fearing a lack of personal contact with the audience. He was finally persuaded to do so in 1929 and became a smash hit.
Music:
Marches
He wrote well over 100 marches; some of his most popular are:
. "Transit of Venus March" (1883) MIDI file
. "Semper Fidelis" (1888) (Offical March of the United States Marine Corps)
. "The Washington Post March" (1889)
. "The Thunderer" (1889)
. "The Liberty Bell" (1893) (credits theme for Monty Python's Flying Circus)
. "Manhattan Beach March" (1893)
. "King Cotton" (1892)
. "The Stars and Stripes Forever" (1896) (National March of the United States)
. "El Capitan" (1896)
. "Hands Across the Sea" (1899)
. "Fairest of the Fair" (1908)
. "U.S. Field Artillery" (1917)
. "The Gallant Seventh" (1922)
. "The Black Horse Troop" (1924)
. "Daughters of Texas" (1929)
. "Minnesota March" (1927) [1]
The marching brass bass, or sousaphone, is named after him.
