Scott Joplin is the “king” of ragtime because of his hit song “The Maple Leaf Rag”por MADISON ANDERSON
1. In 1896 Joplin published two marches and a waltz, and early in 1899 he became a published composer of ragtime with “Original Rags.”
1.1. in August 1896, he contracted with John Stark, a small publisher in Sedalia, to issue “The Maple Leaf Rag.”
2. Among the places in town were he performed regularly were two black social clubs—the Maple Leaf Club, of which he was a charter member, and the Black 400 Club. Joplin’s interest in education led him to befriend and encourage several of the town’s young pianists, two of whom, Arthur Marshall and Scott Hayden, became notable ragtimers.
3. The Maple Leaf Rag was a hit! everyone loved it. And Scott Joplin was named The KING of ragtime!
4. He told his protige that it was going to make him "King of Ragtime Composers"
4.1. <A href=" of Ragtime : Scott Joplin and His Era</A> Database: eBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
5. Joplin began his career while still a teenager, singing with vocal quartets and playing piano, violin, and cornet.
5.1. He played first cornet with the town’s black Queen City Cornet Band, led a small dance band (playing piano), and formed the Texas Medley Quartette, a vocal group.
7. Joplin was not the first ragtime composer, but he came on the scene early and set a standard of excellence and sophistication that few others matched.
8. His performances in Syracuse, New York attracted the attention of two white businessmen who (in 1895) issued his first two publications “Please Say You Will” and “A Picture of Her Face.”
8.1. Published in print: 1999Published online: February 2000
