Composer Henry Fillmore was born December 3, 1881 in Cincinnati, Ohio. His father was James Henry Fillmore, a composer of gospel songs. Henry was something of a musical prodigy and as a youth, he learned to play the piano, guitar, violin, flute and trombone, which incidentally became his favored instrument. He was educated at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.
During his long career Fillmore was a composer, band leader, music publisher among his many other interests. He was a prolific composer, penning 250 or more works. Not wanting to flood the market with compositions in his name, he published under pseudonyms including Harold Bennett, Al Hays, Harry Hartley and Ray Hall, among others. He is widely recognized as one of the “March Kings” of that genre.
Some of his best known compositions are: The Footlifter, Americans We, The President’s March, The Klaxon, Lassus Trombone, The Circus Bee. Many of his popular works were written as pieces to feature his favored instrument, the trombone.
Fillmore died in 1956 in Miami, Florida at age 75.
(Fillmore’s death, reported by The Anniston Star, Anniston, Alabama. 8 Dec 1956.)
An example of Fillmore’s work: The Footlifter – Youtube
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