• November 6, 1854 - March 6, 1932
• John Philip Sousa was born in Washington, D.C. He was the third of 10 children of João António de Sousa, who was of Portuguese and Spanish ancestry and his German wife Maria Elisabeth Trinkhaus. His father was a trombonist by profession who played with the Marine Band.
• When he was 13, Sousa was offered a job as a musician in a circus. His father, disapproving of the plan, arranged for him instead to be apprenticed to the Marine Band, the official band of the president of the United States.
• Appointed leader of the Marine Band in 1880, Sousa's Band, as it was called, achieved great popularity during its many tours of the United States and Europe.
• A perfectionist, Sousa took pride in conducting his band in full military uniform.
• Among the works Sousa composed during his 12 years as director of the United States Marine Band were "Semper Fidelis" (1888), "The Washington Post" (1889) and "South Africa March" (1889). Altogether he composed about 140 military marches, earning him the title "March King."
• When Sousa left the Marine Band in 1892 to form his own orchestra, the news merited a front-page story in the New York Times.
• Between 1879 and 1915 Sousa composed 11 comic operas, of which "El Capitan" and "The Bride-Elect" are the best known. Sousa also wrote two symphonic poems and invented the sousaphone, a large bass tuba with circular coiling and an upright bell.
• In addition to his music Sousa wrote three novels and an autobiography, Marching Along, published in 1928. (Source of all above The Encyclopedia of Trivia.)

Comments

More Songfacts:

AbracadabraSteve Miller Band

The Steve Miller song "Abracadabra" was inspired by Diana Ross and The Supremes. Miller first met the girl group when they performed together on NBC's Hullabaloo in 1966, and he wrote the lyrics after spotting Diana Ross skiing years later.

Private IdahoThe B-52s

The B-52's chose the location of their song "Private Idaho" because the state has a reputation for being wacky and mysterious. The title is a play on the phrase "private eye."

Head Over HeelsThe Go-Go's

"Head Over Heels" by The Go-Go's is a metaphor for how things were getting out of control for the band; they broke up a year later.

RadioactiveImagine Dragons

Imagine Dragons lead singer Dan Reynolds says their 2012 hit "Radioactive" is "a song about having an awakening; kind of waking up one day and deciding to do something new, and see life in a fresh way."

Here Comes Your ManPixies

"Here Comes Your Man" is the closest the Pixies came to a hit in America. It was rumored to be about a drug dealer, but Black Francis says it's just a story about some hobos who travel by train and die in an earthquake.

Second ChanceShinedown

Shinedown lead singer Brent Smith had a band before Shinedown that was dropped by Atlantic Records, but the label offered him a development deal - that was his "Second Chance."

Editor's Picks

Randy HouserSongwriter Interviews

The "How Country Feels" singer talks Skynyrd and songwriting.

Kelly Keagy of Night RangerSongwriter Interviews

Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger tells the "Sister Christian" story and explains why he started sweating when he saw it in Boogie Nights.

Cheerleaders In Music VideosSong Writing

It started with a bouncy MTV classic. Nirvana and MCR made them scary, then Gwen, Avril and Madonna put on the pom poms.

Phone Booth SongsSong Writing

Phone booths are nearly extinct, but they provided storylines for some of the most profound songs of the pre-cell phone era.

Def Leppard QuizMusic Quiz

Can you name Def Leppard's only #1 hit in America? Get rocked with this adrenalized quiz.

QueenFact or Fiction

Scaramouch, a hoople and a superhero soundtrack - see if you can spot the real Queen stories.