James Scott (composer): Difference between revisions

| caption = Scott, {{c.}} 1904

| alias = The Little Professor<ref name="piano society">{{cite web| title=James Scott (1885 - 1938)| url=http://www.pianosociety.com/cms/source_selector.php?section=1393| publisher=Piano Society| accessdateaccess-date=September 28, 2014| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026074259/http://www.pianosociety.com/cms/source_selector.php?section=1393| archive-date=October 26, 2014| url-status=dead| df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Scott was born in [[Neosho, Missouri]], to James Scott Sr. and Molly Thomas Scott, both former slaves.<ref>{{cite web |title=James Scott, 1885-1938 |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200035819/ |access-date=2023-12-04 |website=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA}}</ref> In 1901, his family moved to [[Carthage, Missouri]], where he attended Lincoln High School. He was given a piano after taking music lessons.<ref>{{cite web |title=James Scott, 1885-1938 |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200035819/ |access-date=2023-12-04 |website=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA}}</ref> In 1902, he began working at the music store of Charles L. Dumars, first washing windows, then demonstrating music at the piano as a [[song plugger]], including his own pieces. Demand for his music convinced Dumars to print the first of Scott's published compositions, "A Summer Breeze - March and Two Step", in 1903.<ref name="Jasen and Tichenor"/> By 1904, two more compositions by Scott, "Fascinator March" and "On the Pike March" were published and sold well, but not enough to keep Dumars in business and soon the company ceased publishing.<ref name="HASKINS">{{cite book | title = Scott Joplin - The Man Who Made Ragtime | author = James Haskins | isbn = 0-8128-6066-7 | year = 1978 | page = 145 | publisher = Stein and Day }}</ref>

Ragtime Historians Rudi Blesh and Harriet Janis recount that Scott went to [[St. Louis, Missouri]], in search of his idol Scott Joplin in 1905.<ref>[[#Berlin|Berlin (1994)]] pp. 146.</ref> He located Joplin and asked if he would listen to one of his ragtime compositions. Upon hearing the rag, Joplin introduced him to his own publisher, [[John Stillwell Stark]], and recommended he publish the work. Stark published the rag a year later as "[[Frog Legs Rag]]". It quickly became a hit and was second in sales in the Stark catalogue only to that of Joplin's own "[[Maple Leaf Rag]]".<ref name="Berlin">{{cite book | title = King of Ragtime - Scott Joplin and His Era | url = https://archive.org/details/kingofragtimesco00berl | url-access = registration | author = Edward Berlin | isbn = 0-19-508739-9 | year = 1994 | page = [https://archive.org/details/kingofragtimesco00berl/page/58 58] | publisher = Oxford University Press }}</ref> Scott became a regular contributor to the Stark catalogue until 1922.

In 1914, Scott moved to [[Kansas City, Missouri]], where he married Nora Johnson, taught music, and accompanied silent movies as an organist and arranger at the Panama Theater.<ref name="Jasen and Tichenor"/><ref name="Blesh">{{cite book | title = They All Played Ragtime | author last1=Blesh|first1= Rudi Blesh & Harriet |last2=Janis | first2=Harriet|isbn = 0-8256-0091-X | year = 1950 | page = [https://archive.org/details/theyallplayedrag00bles/page/114 114] | publisher = Oak Publications | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/theyallplayedrag00bles/page/114 }}</ref><ref name="Jasen2007">{{cite book | title = Ragtime: An Encyclopedia, Discography, and Sheetography | url = https://archive.org/details/ragtimeencyclope00jase | url-access = limited | author = David A. Jasen | isbn = 978-0-415-97862-0 | year = 2007 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/ragtimeencyclope00jase/page/n247 227] | publisher = Taylor & Francis }}</ref> Those that knew him recall that theater work was a large part of his activity. His cousin Patsy Thomas remembers, "Everybody called him 'Little Professor' He always walked rapidly, looking at the ground - would pass you on the street and never see you - seemed always deep in thought."<ref>[[#Blesh|Blesh (1950)]] pp. 115.</ref>

In the last years of his life, Scott busied himself with teaching, composing and leading an eight-piece band that played for various beer parks and movie theaters in the area. With the arrival of sound movies, however, his fortunes declined. He lost his theater work, his wife died without child, and his health deteriorated.<ref name="Jasen2007"/> He moved in with his cousin Ruth Callahan in [[Kansas City, Kansas]], and even though was suffering from chronic [[dropsy]], he continued to compose and play piano. He also worked as an accompanist for dances.<ref>{{cite web |title=James Scott, 1885-1938 |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200035819/ |access-date=2023-12-04 |website=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA}}</ref> Scott died at Douglas Hospital on August 30, 1938, at age 52 and was laid beside his wife in Westlawn Cemetery.<ref>[[#Blesh|Blesh (1950)]] pp. 119.</ref>