Mary Lou Williams – Short Biography
Mary Lou Williams, born Mary Elfrieda Scruggs on May 8, 1910, in Atlanta, Georgia, was a pioneering figure in jazz whose innovative compositions and virtuosic piano playing left an indelible mark on the genre. Her remarkable career spanned over six decades, during which she not only excelled as a performer but also as a composer, arranger, and educator.
Williams showed prodigious musical talent from a young age, teaching herself to play the piano by ear. By the age of six, she was performing publicly, and by 12, she was touring with a traveling vaudeville show. Her early experiences immersed her in a diverse range of musical styles, from blues and gospel to ragtime and jazz, laying the foundation for her later innovation.