Ain't misbehavin'

by W. T. Ed Kirkeby

"Thomas Wright Waller was one of the most popular jazz pianists and composers of all time in a world to which, for obvious reasons, he was known affectionately as 'Fats.' When he died at the early age of thirty-nine he left a legacy of such masterpieces as Honeysuckle Rose, I've Got a Feelin' I'm Falling, and Ain't Misbehavin'. His performances on the piano and organ had delighted packed houses at home and abroad, and his recordings found audiences around the globe. A child of Harlem, he grew up as that area became identified with the rich and varied characteristics of the Negro culture. The Lincoln Theatre on 135th Street housed the greatest of American Negro talent, Bill Robinson, Bert Williams, Miller and Lyle. It was here that Fats became a local celebrity playing the organ, cheered on by such schoolmates as Canada Lee. This experience led finally to Waller's sponsorship by the distinguished James P. Johnson and his apprentice ship with the leading performers at the traditional ren