What happened to Stephen Foster? Nationality, Age, Measurements



Known for movies



Stephen Foster (July 4, 1826 – January 13, 1864) was an American composer and songwriter known for his parlor and minstrel music. He is considered the first important composer from the United States and was one of the first songwriters to utilize vernacular speech in his compositions. His songs were widely popular during his lifetime and continue to be popular today.

Foster was born in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. His parents were William Barclay Foster, a lawyer, and Eliza Clayland Tomlinson Foster, a gifted amateur musician. He had six brothers and sisters, two of whom died in infancy. His early education was sporadic; he briefly attended private schools in New York and Philadelphia before being sent to live with his paternal grandparents in Allegheny, Pennsylvania (now part of Pittsburgh), where he attended public school.

Foster showed an early interest in music and began writing songs when he was just a teenager. His first published song, “Oh! Susanna”, was a huge success, selling over 100,000 copies in just a few months. It was followed by other popular songs like “Camptown Races” and “Beautiful Dreamer”.

Foster’s career was cut short by his untimely death at the age of 37. He had been in declining health for several years, and his death was likely due to alcoholism or drug addiction. At the time of his death, he was penniless and largely forgotten. However, his songs continued to be popular, and he was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.

Today, Stephen Foster is remembered as one of the most important American composers of the 19th century. His songs are still sung and enjoyed by people all over the world.

Source: IMDb, Wikipedia