Scott Joplin, a pioneering African American composer and pianist, was born in Texarkana, Texas. Widely known as the “King of Ragtime,” Joplin helped popularize the genre with his groundbreaking 1899 composition “Maple Leaf Rag” (published in 1899, though composed earlier), which ignited a ragtime music craze across America during the Gay Nineties and early 20th century.
His music laid the groundwork for jazz and American popular music. Joplin composed over 40 ragtime pieces, two operas, and a ballet, including the celebrated opera Treemonisha.
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