Atlanta, Georgia (May 8, 1910 -May 28, 1981) age 71 yrs

Mary Lou Williams was an American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer. A young musical prodigy at age three, she taught herself to play the piano. At age six, she supported her ten half-brothers and sisters by playing at parties. She began performing publicly at the age of seven. She became known admiringly in Pittsburgh as “The Little Piano Girl.” She became a professional musician in her teens, citing Lovie Austin as her greatest influence. She wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements and recorded more than one hundred records.