Stephen Collins Foster
| Stephen C. Foster | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
Stephen Collins Foster July 4, 1826 Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | January 13, 1864 (aged 37) New York City, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Accidental fall and fever |
| Resting place |
Allegheny Cemetery Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Monuments |
Stephen Foster Memorial Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. (see other memorials) |
| Residence | Lawrenceville, PA; New York City |
| Education |
Athens Academy, Towanda, Pennsylvania Athens Academy |
| Occupation | Composer, lyricist, poet |
| Years active | 1844–1864 |
| Agent | Various sheet music publishers and brother, Morrison Foster |
| Known for | America's first fully professional songwriter. |
| Notable work | "Angelina Baker", "Beautiful Dreamer", "Camptown Races", "Gentle Annie", "The Glendy Burk", "Hard Times Come Again No More", "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair", "My Old Kentucky Home", "Oh! Susanna", "Old Black Joe", "Old Folks at Home" ("Swanee River"), "Open Thy Lattice Love" |
| Style | Period music, minstrel |
| Home town | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania United States |
| Salary | royalties obtained from published music |
| Spouse(s) | Jane McDowell Foster Wiley (1829–1903) (other sources use Jane Denny Foster Wiley) |
| Children | Marion Foster Welch (1851–1935) |
| Parent(s) | William Barclay Foster (1779–1855), Eliza Clayland Tomlinson Foster (1788–1855) |
| Relatives | Evelyn Foster Morneweck (niece), James Foster (grandfather) Siblings:Charlotte Susanna Foster (1809–1829), Anne Eliza Foster Buchanan (1812–1891), Henry Baldwin Foster (1816–1870), Henrietta Angelica Foster Thornton (1819–1879), Dunning McNair Foster (1821–1856), Morrison Foster (1823–1904)* |
Athens Academy, Towanda, Pennsylvania
Stephen Collins Foster (July 4, 1826 – January 13, 1864), known as "the father of American music", was an American songwriter primarily known for his parlor and minstrel music. Foster wrote over 200 songs; among his best-known are "Oh! Susanna", "Hard Times Come Again No More", "Camptown Races", "Old Folks at Home" ("Swanee River"), "My Old Kentucky Home", "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair", "Old Black Joe", and "Beautiful Dreamer". Many of his compositions remain popular more than 150 years after he wrote them. His compositions are thought to be autobiographical. He has been identified as "the most famous songwriter of the nineteenth century" and may be the most recognizable American composer in other countries. His compositions are sometimes referred to as "childhood songs" because they have been included in the music curriculum of early education. Most of his handwritten music manuscripts are lost, but copies printed by publishers of his day can be found in various collections.
There are many biographers who have published works on the life of Stephen Collins Foster, but details can differ widely. In addition, Foster wrote very little biographical information himself. His brother Morrison Foster destroyed much of the information about Stephen that he judged to reflect negatively upon the family.
Stephen Foster was born on July 4, 1826. His parents were William Barclay Foster and Eliza Clayland Tomlinson. He was the youngest of three sisters and six brothers. Foster attended private academies in Allegheny, Athens, and Towanda, Pennsylvania. He received an education in English grammar, diction, the classics, penmanship, Latin, Greek, and mathematics. Though they lived in a northern city, his family did not support the abolition of slavery. His older brother Morrison was a notable influence throughout Stephen's life.
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Wikipedia