The Resume

(May 21, 1904-December 15, 1943)
Born in New York City, New York
Birth name was Thomas Wright Waller
Jazz pianist, vocalist and composer
Wrote 'Ain't Misbehavin,' 'Honeysuckle Rose,' 'The Joint Is Jumpin,' 'Squeeze Me,' 'I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling' and 'Black and Blue'
Appeared in the films 'King of Burlesque' (1936) and 'Stormy Weather' (1943)
Songs were the basis of the Broadway musical 'Ain't Misbehavin' (1978)
Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (1970) and the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame (1989)

Why he might be annoying:

He said about growing up with a minister father, 'As soon as I was old enough, I went right out and did all the things I'd been held back from doing.'
He weighed 300 pounds.
He was a frequent patron of a Harlem brothel called Valentine's Daisy Chain.
His reputation as the 'clown prince' of jazz overshadowed his talents as a musician and songwriter.

Why he might not be annoying:

Oscar Levant called him 'the black Horowitz.'
He was so popular that Al Capone's henchmen kidnapped him to become the surprise guest at the gangster's birthday party (1926).
One critic called him 'the greatest jazz pianist who ever tried to make people laugh and the greatest comedian who ever played jazz.'
He was one of the few jazz musicians of the day popular enough overseas to tour Europe (1938-39).
He famously responded to the question 'What is jazz?' with 'If you have to ask, don't mess with it.'

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• Black Heavyweights
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 21]
• Celebrities Born on the Same Date [May] (Ranked: 5211904)
• Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (Ranked: 1993)
• I Am Vaudeville [M-Z]
• I Come from Queens
• I Covered 'Frankie and Johnny'
• I Covered 'Just a Gigolo'
• I Did Not Graduate High School [T-Z]
• I Died in 1943 (Ranked: 39)
• I Died in My 30s (Ranked: 39)
• I Had Pneumonia
• I Inspired a Musical
• I was Kidnapped
• Look at My Keyboard
• My Nickname is Part of My Name [M-Z]
• My Song was Inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame (Ranked: 1984)
• Profiles 26251-26500 (Ranked: 26287)
• Whores and Johns

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 7 Votes: 14.29% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 12 Votes: 58.33% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 6 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 7 Votes: 28.57% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 14 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 12 Votes: 58.33% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 12 Votes: 16.67% Annoying
In 2011, Out of 14 Votes: 35.71% Annoying
In 2010, Out of 108 Votes: 59.26% Annoying
In 2009, Out of 23 Votes: 43.48% Annoying