Clarence Williams Sr.
Pianist
Jazz artist and entrepreneur who produced early recordings by Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, and Irene Scruggs, among others.
His early years were spent performing odd jobs like shining shoes, but by 1910, he was making a name for himself in New Orleans.
He and Armand J. Piron, a violinist and bandleader, founded the leading African-American-owned music publishing company of the 1920s.
He married Eva Taylor, a their blues singer, stage actress, and collaborator, in 1921.
He and W.C. Handy toured together for a brief period of time.