Joseph “King” Oliver
December 19, 1885 – April 10, 1938
King Oliver was a popular jazz cornetist, composer and bandleader at the turn of last century. Louis Armstrong has cited him as being a major influence on his own playing. Born in Louisiana, Oliver and his family settled in New Orleans when he was a child. When he got older, he played in the local brass bands throughout the city’s famed red light district, Storyville. He hooked up with Kid Ory and together they built a band that was one of the most popular and successful at the time. Oliver was one of the few African-American musicians that could easily get work at both black joints, and white high society parties. Unfortunately, Oliver’s business sense was not as strong as his musical skills, so he made some poor career decisions and lost money to some less-than-honest managers. During the Great Depression, he lost everything when his bank collapsed. He continued on as best he could, taking low paying gigs while working as a janitor. Sadly, he was broke and living in a rooming house when he passed away on April 10, 1938.
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