Multicultural St. Louis - Modern African-American Achievements in St. Louis

St. Louis has a long history of artistic excellence by African-American performers and composers. When Scott Joplin brought his ragtime music to St. Louis in the late 1800s, he found a ready audience in the river city’s saloons, brothels, restaurants and theaters. He played most often in the Chestnut Valley near Union Station and introduced one of his most popular compositions, "The Cascades," at the 1904 World’s Fair in Forest Park. Visitors can visit the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site for an in-depth look at the man, his music and African-American life in St. Louis at the turn of the 20th century. Ragtime performances and events are held at the site throughout the year.
Josephine Baker began her long entertainment career in St. Louis before shooting to fame in the Revue Negre in Paris. Popular ballads of the Ragtime Era, such as the tales of murder "Frankie and Johnny" and "Stagger Lee," were written about the wild life in St. Louis’ sporting districts. Joplin’s contemporary, W. C. Handy, wrote "St. Louis Blues" while standing on the banks of the Mississippi River here, and blues musicians followed the Great Migration upriver from the Mississippi Delta to help establish a unique St. Louis sound.  Modern African-American performers continued the tradition, finding eager audiences in St. Louis and success around the world. Ike and Tina Turner, opera’s Grace Bumbry and Robert McFerrin, jazz great Miles Davis, rock 'n’ roller Chuck Berry (who still plays regularly at Blueberry Hill in The Loop) and many other legends spent the formative days of their careers here. St. Louis became known as the birthplace of rhythm and blues and the "City of Gabriels" because of the amazing horn players that came from its music scene. The tradition of musical innovation from St. Louis artists continues today with hip-hop stars Nelly, Chingy and Murphy Lee topping the charts. The St. Louis Black Repertory Company, which has been performing in St. Louis for more than 30 seasons, has been called the nation’s top black theater.
African Americans also have played an important role in St. Louis’ sports history. George Poage became the first African American to win a medal in the Olympic Games, held in St. Louis in 1904, and tennis great Arthur Ashe graduated from high school in St. Louis. James "Cool Papa" Bell, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, played for St. Louis in the Negro Leagues and was considered the fastest man in the game. The world’s greatest female athlete, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, lives and works in St. Louis today, building a better life for underserved children through the JJK Boys & Girls Club. The St. Louis Gateway Classic Sports Foundation Walk of Fame in downtown honors St. Louisans who have been trailblazers in the community, and the National Black Tourism Network offers tours of St. Louis’ African-American heritage. For details, visit http://www.tourism-network.net/ or dial (314) 865-0708.