John Philip Sousa - famous for marches such as The Stars and Stripes Forever - first gained recognition as director of the U.S. Marine Band.
Arguably, the most popular early 20th-century visitor to Fort Worth was bandleader John Philip Sousa.
Sousa rose to prominence directing the U.S. Marine Band from 1880 until 1892. Besides conducting, he also wrote music of lasting importance. He made the Marine Band the finest band in the United States, earning them the title, “The President’s Own.”In 1892 he left the Marines to start his own band, which he led for the next 39 years, earning a new title, “the American March King.
That first visit was arranged by St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, which guaranteed his fee. The church had no doubt they would recoup their expenses because a Sousa performance was guaranteed to be a sell-out. His next visit to Fort Worth came in February 1906, Greenwall’s again. His 50-musician band now included woodwinds, drums, and a harp. They ended the program with the ever-popular “Stars and Stripes Forever” and a new march composed by Sousa.
He was back in Fort Worth on Jan. 18, 1922, for appearance number six. The Harmony Club booked him again, this time into the First Baptist Church auditorium for a matinee and an evening performance. By 1925, Fort Worth had become a regular stop on Sousa tours. A Dec. 3 visit was sponsored by the Moslah Shriners, playing a matinee and an evening performance at First Baptist Church. The 71-year-old bandleader was as energetic as ever. Keeping up with the times, he added a new piece to the program, “Jazz America,” which had suspicious march overtones. Following Sousa’s usual practice, the matinee was for schoolchildren only.
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