John Stillwell Stark
| John Stillwell Stark | |
|---|---|
John Stillwell Stark
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| Born |
John Stillwell Stark April 11, 1841 Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | October 21, 1927 (aged 86) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | John Stark |
| Occupation | Music publisher |
| Known for | Work with Scott Joplin |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Ann Casey (wife) |
| Relatives | Adin Stark (father) Eleanor Stillwell Stark (mother) Etilman J. Stark (brother) William Stark (son) E.J. Stark (son) Eleanor Stark (daughter) |
John Stillwell Stark (April 11, 1841 – October 21, 1927) was an American publisher of ragtime music, best known for publishing and promoting the music of Scott Joplin.
Stark was the eleventh of twelve children born to Adin Stark and Eleanor Stillwell Stark of Shelby County, Kentucky. He grew up on a farm in Bean Blossom, Indiana, and served in the Union Army during the American Civil War, where he played the bugle. He married Sarah Ann Casey and raised a family, earning his living as a farmer, first in Indiana and then in Missouri near Maysville. His other children were E.J. Stark, who became a well known composer of ragtime, and Eleanor, who was a talented musician. Eventually John Stark tired of farming and moved to Cameron, where he went into the new business of ice-cream making. After moving to Chillicothe, he supplemented his income by selling organs and pianos.
In 1885, Stark settled in Sedalia, Missouri and entered the music business full-time, opening an office at 516 Ohio Street and founding John Stark and Son with his 15-year-old son William. He got into the publishing business after buying out J. W. Truxel, one of his competitors, who owned seven copyrights.
It was in Sedalia that Stark heard Scott Joplin play the "Maple Leaf Rag", and on August 10, 1899, he bought the number for fifty dollars plus royalties of one cent per copy. This is said to be the first time in history that a composer had earned royalties. It proved a prosperous arrangement for both men. After an initial printing of 5,000 copies, a million were eventually sold, which enabled Stark to open an office in St. Louis, Missouri (and, in 1905, New York City) and Joplin to engage in composing for a living. Over the next two decades, Stark published and promoted the "classic" style rag pioneered by Joplin with a lineup that included Joseph Lamb, James Scott, Arthur Marshall, Paul Pratt, Artie Matthews, Robert Hampton, J. Russel Robinson, and Etilmon J. Stark (his son).
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