Musician. Born Thomas Wright Waller in Waverley, New York, he was an acclaimed pianist, organist, composer, singer-comedic entertainer and one of the most popular performers of the 1920s to 1940s, jazz era. He began his career on the vaudeville stage branching on to a series of radio broadcasts for CBS, toured the U.S. and was a headliner at the Apollo Theater. He also appeared in films such as "Hooray for Love" (1935) "King of Burlesque" (1935), "Ain't Misbehavin" (1941) and "Stormy Weather" (1943). Recording for RCA Victor, his many hits included "Handful of Keys", "African Ripples", "Ain't Misbehavin", "Alligator Crawl", "Clothes Line Ballet" "E-Flat Blues' and "Honeysuckle Rose". He died at the age of 39 and was posthumously inducted into the Down Beat Hall of Fame in 1968.
Musician. Born Thomas Wright Waller in Waverley, New York, he was an acclaimed pianist, organist, composer, singer-comedic entertainer and one of the most popular performers of the 1920s to 1940s, jazz era. He began his career on the vaudeville stage branching on to a series of radio broadcasts for CBS, toured the U.S. and was a headliner at the Apollo Theater. He also appeared in films such as "Hooray for Love" (1935) "King of Burlesque" (1935), "Ain't Misbehavin" (1941) and "Stormy Weather" (1943). Recording for RCA Victor, his many hits included "Handful of Keys", "African Ripples", "Ain't Misbehavin", "Alligator Crawl", "Clothes Line Ballet" "E-Flat Blues' and "Honeysuckle Rose". He died at the age of 39 and was posthumously inducted into the Down Beat Hall of Fame in 1968.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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