Tuts Washington
b. 24 January 1907, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, d. 5 August 1984, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Raised by his aunt, Rosetta Howard, and exposed to music from childhood, Washington was fluent in the old barrelhouse-blues styles, but as his aunt was determined he should not to be limited to them, he also played pop, jazz, boogie and ragtime. He claimed to have influenced all the New Orleans pianists from Professor Longhair to Fats Domino and James Booker, and was certainly much respected by them. In the '30s he played in jazz bands, and in the '40s and '50s, he was closely associated with Smiley Lewis, later joining Oscar ‘Papa’ Celestin. Reluctant to record, he was only finally persuaded to do so shortly before his death (which occurred at a concert).