Scott Joplin: The King Of Ragtime

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Famous Arkansans, they are either born in Arkansas or moved to Arkansas, and they made their mark in Arkansas history. No specific date or location of his birth, but Scott Joplin still made his mark in Arkansas as “The King of Ragtime”. Scott Joplin was born to the parents of Giles Joplin, who was a former slave, and his mother, Florence Givens, who was a freed slave. It isn’t recorded where or when Scott Joplin was born, but we do know that he was born in the years of 1867-1868, and estimated around November 24th. Joplin had 5 siblings, Monroe, Robert, Rose, William, and Johnny. He was the second oldest out of six. Joplin wasn’t able to go to school until he was ten years old. Joplin traveled to many places and went to Lincoln High School in Sedalia, Missouri. Things changed for Joplin when his father left the family leaving his mother to raise six kids on her own. Meanwhile, Joplin takes up a job to support …show more content…

Belle and Joplin was married for three years before Joplin divorced Belle. In June 14 1904, Joplin married he second wife Freddie Alexander, in Little Rock. Only ten weeks of being married to Freddie, she died of pneumonia. After the death of his second wife, Joplin went to New York City, where Stark had just opened a new piano store and publishing company. Later in 1909, Joplin married Lottie Stokes. By that time, Joplin had already composed more than forty successful piano ragtime numbers and a music booklet called “School of Ragtime”. Before Joplin could see his opera “Treemonisha” produced with full costume and a full orchestra, he died of tertiary syphilis on April 1, 1917.After Joplin’s death,his fame found its way back to him in the 1970s because of “The Entertainer” was used in the film “The Sing”. In 1976, Joplin was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his contributions to American music.
In conclusion, Joplin definitely made his mark in Arkansas history by his ragtime songs and his music