Henry Fillmore: The March King of Ragtime

American composer, bandleader, trombonist, and publisher, renowned as one of the giants of American march music and 'ragtime' trombone solos.Henry Fillmore, son of a music publisher, became a prolific composer known for marches like 'The Footlifter' and 'Americans We', and humorous trombone solos like 'Lassus Trombone'. He led numerous bands, founded his own publishing company, and significantly influenced the development of band music, particularly in circus and school band repertoires.
  • Early in his career, he composed risqué trombone rags and solos under the pseudonym 'Will Huff' to avoid embarrassing his religious family, especially his father who was a prominent hymn publisher.
  • He was married to Mabel May Jones, a vaudeville performer known as 'May Hooley', and they toured together. Their marriage ended in divorce.
  • Despite composing over 250 works, including many popular marches, Fillmore struggled financially for much of his life, often moving between bands and publishing ventures.
  • He experienced a late-career resurgence, becoming the bandmaster for the University of Miami and receiving honorary doctorates from the University of Miami and the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music shortly before his death from a stroke.