Miriam Moffitt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Miriam "Mamie" Moffitt
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| Born |
Miriam Leona Seals
1884 |
| Died | October 17, 1954 Hyannis, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Other names | Miriam Seales Moffitt |
| Known for | Mamie Moffitt and Her Five Jazz Hounds |
| Spouse(s) | John Thomas (m. 1901–c.1915) Wallace Moffitt (m. 1918) |
Miriam Moffitt (1884–1954), also known as Mamie Moffitt, was an amazing American jazz pianist. She was also a talented band leader! In the 1920s, she formed a group called Mamie Moffitt and Her Five Jazz Hounds. This was the very first professional jazz band in Worcester, Massachusetts. Because of her important work, people now call Mamie Moffitt "Worcester's First Lady of Jazz".
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Miriam Leona Seals was born in 1884. Her hometown was New Bedford, Massachusetts. Her parents were Harrison and Esther Seals. Both her parents had mixed African American and Native American backgrounds. Her father, Harrison, worked as a stove maker and tinsmith. Miriam was named after her grandmother, Miriam Johnson Seals. Her grandmother had once been enslaved.
Miriam's mother, Esther, was part-African American and part-Mohawk Indian. Esther noticed Miriam's musical talent early on. She made sure Miriam received formal piano lessons.
Miriam's Musical Career
Miriam Seals started performing when she was a teenager. She played many different kinds of music. She performed alone, with other musicians, and as an accompanist. Her first job was playing piano at the New Bedford School of Dance. She also played for theater groups. She was even a church organist!
Miriam showed off her amazing improvisation skills. She played piano in silent film theaters. She also performed on harbor cruises in New Bedford. Her popular music included "cake walks," "rags," and "two steps." She also played marches, popular songs, and dance pieces.
Piano Teacher in New York City
In 1901, Miriam got married and moved to New York City. There, she became a piano teacher. Her family says that Miriam Seals Thomas taught several musicians. These students later became famous jazz artists. Some of them include Noble Sissle and Lionel Hampton.
Mamie Moffitt and Her Five Jazz Hounds
Miriam married a second time and moved to Worcester. There, she started her own band. It was called Mamie Moffitt and Her Five Jazz Hounds. This was the first jazz group in Worcester! Miriam Moffitt was the band leader and pianist from 1922 to 1928.
The band members included:
- Miriam “Mamie” Moffitt on piano
- Wallace Moffitt on cornet
- Alfred Moffitt on saxophone
- Harold Black on violin and banjo
- John Byard on trombone
- Boots Ward on drums
The "Five Jazz Hounds" included family members. Her husband Wallace was in the band. So was her brother-in-law Alfred. Alfred’s nephew, Harold Black, also played. Young Wendell Culley sometimes joined them on the trumpet. After Mamie Moffitt left, drummer Boots Ward started his own band. It was called The Nite Hawks. Harold Black and John Byard joined that band too.
Personal Life and Family
In 1901, Miriam married John Thomas. He worked on the rail service. Later, Miriam moved back to New Bedford. She brought her two daughters, Natalie (born 1902) and Dorothy (born 1907).
In 1918, Miriam married Wallace Moffitt. He was a cornet player from Worcester. Wallace had two children, Donald and Edna. Miriam and Wallace later adopted another child, Madeline.
Other Family Businesses
In the early 1930s, Miriam and Wallace opened a restaurant. It was popular in Worcester and called Moffitt's Chicken Coop. They also owned a battery shop. In 1949, the Moffitts moved to Mashpee, Massachusetts. This town is on Cape Cod. They opened a summer guest house there. It was called Popponesett-in-the-Pines. They ran it for a few years before retiring.
Death and Legacy
Miriam Moffitt passed away on October 17, 1954. Trumpet player Wendell Culley visited her before she died. Wendell Culley later played with the famous Count Basie Orchestra.
In recent years, Miriam "Mamie" Moffitt has been called "Worcester's First Lady of Jazz." Her life story, including many photos, is now in the Jazz History Database. This database is at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. It was started in 2001. A researcher named Rich Falco began studying the music of Jaki Byard. Jaki Byard is a very important jazz musician from Worcester. When Jaki Byard was in high school, he played piano for his father's band, The Nite Hawks. This band had started from Mamie Moffitt's group!
See also
- Wendell Culley
- Jaki Byard
