American violinist and composer (died 1944)

Will Marion Cook

William Mercer Cook, better known as Will Marion Cook, was an African-American composer, pianist, orchestrator, lyricist, violinist, and choral director. Cook was a student of Antonín Dvořák. In 1919 he took his New York Syncopated Orchestra to England for a command performance for King George V of the United Kingdom, and tour. Cook is probably best known for his popular songs and landmark Broadway musicals, featuring African-American creators, producers, and casts, such as Clorindy, or The Origin of the Cake Walk (1898) and In Dahomey (1903).

Born

1869

January 27

Died

Living

Era

1860s

Country

—

About

Will, in brief

William Mercer Cook, better known as Will Marion Cook, was an African-American composer, pianist, orchestrator, lyricist, violinist, and choral director. Cook was a student of Antonín Dvořák. In 1919 he took his New York Syncopated Orchestra to England for a command performance for King George V of the United Kingdom, and tour. Cook is probably best known for his popular songs and landmark Broadway musicals, featuring African-American creators, producers, and casts, such as Clorindy, or The Origin of the Cake Walk (1898) and In Dahomey (1903).

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Same-year contemporaries

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Edwin Lutyens 1869–1944 English architect, designed the Castle Drogo and Thiepval Memorial (born 1869) Emilio Aguinaldo 1869–1964 Filipino general and politician, 1st President of the Philippines (born 1869) Gustav Vigeland 1869–1943 Norwegian sculptor, designed the Nobel Peace Prize medal (died 1943) Henri Désiré Landru 1869– French serial killer (died 1922) José María Pino Suárez 1869– Mexican politician, Vice President of Mexico, murdered in a military coup (died 1913) Mahatma Gandhi 1869–1948 leader of the Indian independence movement against British rule (born 1869) Mary Colter 1869–1958 American architect, designed the Desert View Watchtower (died 1958) Neville Chamberlain 1869–1940 English businessman and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (died 1940) Robbie Ross 1869– Canadian journalist and art critic (died 1918)

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