John Stillwell Stark (April 11, 1841 – October 21, 1927)[N 1] was an American publisher of ragtime music, best known for publishing and promoting the music of Scott Joplin.
Stark was the eleventh of 12 children born to Adin Stark and Eleanor Stillwell Stark of Shelby County, Kentucky. He grew up on a farm in Bean Blossom, Indiana,[N 2] and served in the Union Army during the American Civil War, where he played the bugle. He married Sarah Ann Casey and raised a family, earning his living as a farmer, first in Indiana and then in Missouri near Maysville. His children included E.J. Stark, who became a well-known composer of ragtime, and Eleanor, who was a talented musician. Eventually John Stark tired of farming and moved to Cameron, where he went into the new business of ice-cream making. After moving to Chillicothe, he supplemented his income by selling organs and pianos.
Career
In 1885, Stark settled in Sedalia, Missouri, and entered the music business full-time, opening an office at 516 Ohio Street and founding John Stark and Son with his 15-year-old son William. He got into the publishing business after buying out J.W. Truxel, one of his competitors, who owned seven copyrights.
Stark also self-published several of his own works, such as 'We are Coming, Uncle Sammy (1917, music by E.J Stark), 'The Vital Question' (1913, text by E.J Stark), and 'He's all Shot to Pieces by the French Girls' Eyes' (1917).[1]
Later life and death
After his wife died in 1910, Stark closed his New York office and returned to St. Louis. By this time New York's Tin Pan Alley was dominating ragtime music sales. He continued to publish new rags until 1922, well after ragtime had succumbed to jazz, which Stark detested. Stark died in St. Louis on October 21, 1927.
^The commonly-seen date in print and on the web of November 20, 1927, is erroneous, as his death certificate, online here, clearly indicates a date of death of October 21, and burial on October 23, 1927.
^John Stark is found living with his older brother Etilman J. Stark in both the 1850 and 1860 Census taken at Bean Blossom, incorrectly listed as John S. Starks in the 1860 record.
^Blesh; Janis, Rudi; Harriet (1950). They All Played Ragtime (4th ed.). New York: Oak Publications (published 1971). pp. 294, 310. ISBN0-8256-0091-X.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Kagan, Jeremy (1977-02-11), Scott Joplin (Biography, Drama, Music), Billy Dee Williams, Clifton Davis, Margaret Avery, Universal Pictures, Motown Productions, retrieved 2024-01-02
