Resource id #75
Image Source: Wikipedia

John Philip Sousa


John Philip Sousa ( SOO-zə, SOO-sə, Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈso(w)zɐ]; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to distinguish him from his British counterpart Kenneth J. Alford. Among Sousa's best-known marches are "The Stars and Stripes Forever" (National March of the United States of America), "Semper Fidelis" (official march of the United States Marine Corps), "The Liberty Bell", "The Thunderer", and "The Washington Post".

Sousa began his career playing violin and studying music theory and composition under John Esputa and George Felix Benkert. Sousa's father enlisted him in the United States Marine Band as an apprentice in 1868. He left the band in 1875, and over the next five years, Sousa performed as a violinist and learned to conduct. In 1880, he rejoined the Marine Band and served there for 12 years as director, after which Sousa was hired to conduct a band organized by David Blakely, P.S. Gilmore's former agent. Blakely wanted to compete with Gilmore. From 1880 until his death, Sousa focused exclusively on conducting and writing music. He aided in the development of the sousaphone, a large brass instrument similar to the helicon and tuba.

Upon the outbreak of World War I, Sousa was awarded a wartime commission of lieutenant commander to lead the Naval Reserve Band in Illinois. He then returned to conduct the Sousa Band until his death in 1932. In the 1920s, Sousa was promoted to the permanent rank of lieutenant commander in the naval reserve.

Birth and Death Data: Born November 6, 1854 (Washington, D.C.), Died March 6, 1932 (Reading)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1894 - 1950

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, arranger, conductor, director, speaker

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 251-275 of 698 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor A-360 7-in. 8/28/1903 Minuet Sousa's Band Band arranger  
Victor B-360 10-in. 8/28/1903 Minuet Sousa's Band Band arranger  
Victor C-360 12-in. 8/28/1903 Paderewski minuet Sousa's Band Band arranger  
Victor A-364 7-in. 8/28/1903 Songs of grace and glory Sousa's Band Band composer  
Victor B-364 10-in. 8/28/1903 Songs of grace and glory Sousa's Band Band composer  
Victor C-364 12-in. 8/28/1903 Songs of grace and glory Sousa's Band Band composer  
Victor A-579 7-in. 10/23/1903 Jack Tar march Vess L. Ossman Banjo solo, with piano composer  
Victor B-579 10-in. 10/23/1903 Jack Tar march Vess L. Ossman Banjo solo, with piano composer  
Victor C-579 12-in. 10/23/1903 Jack Tar march Vess L. Ossman Banjo solo, with piano composer  
Victor A-628 7-in. 11/5/1903 The stars and stripes forever Vess L. Ossman Banjo solo, with piano composer  
Victor A-630 7-in. 11/5/1903 Hands across the sea Vess L. Ossman Banjo solo composer  
Victor A-745 7-in. 11/24/1903 The National Fencibles march Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
Victor B-745 10-in. 11/24/1903 The National Fencibles march Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
Victor C-745 12-in. ca. 1903 The National Fencibles march Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
Victor B-774 10-in. 12/3/1903 The gladiator Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
Victor A-774 7-in. 12/3/1903 The gladiator Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
Victor A-775 7-in. 12/3/1903 The rifle regiment march Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
Victor B-775 10-in. 12/3/1903 The rifle regiment march Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
Victor C-775 12-in. 12/3/1903 The rifle regiment march Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
Victor A-791 7-in. 12/7/1903 The picador's march Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
Victor B-791 10-in. 12/7/1903 The picador's march Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
Victor C-791 12-in. 12/7/1903 The picador's march Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
Victor A-817 7-in. 12/14/1903 The man behind the gun Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
Victor B-817 10-in. 12/14/1903 The man behind the gun Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
Victor A-818 7-in. 12/14/1903 El capitan march Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
(Results 251-275 of 698 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Sousa, John Philip," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102569.

Sousa, John Philip. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102569.

"Sousa, John Philip." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102569

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.