John Philip Sousa - American musician, composer, director, writer, and the namesake for my beloved Sousaphone - was born on this day in 1854.Being the son of a musician and member of the Marine Band, combined with the martial spirit of Civil War days of his youth in Washington, served to give Sousa's talent the bent which made him America's "March King." I would have a chance to enjoy that legacy during visits with my Dad to Marine Barracks-Washington ("8th & I") for summer evenings of music and marching that included several of Sousa's works.
Here is a nice site devoted to Sousa, maintained by the Dallas Wind Symphony. You can also visit the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music and Sousa's obituary in the New York Times .... hey, Jim, did you know he died just up the road from you, in Reading?
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