Scott Joplin — American Musician born on December 30, 1867,

Scott Joplin was an African-American composer and pianist. Joplin achieved fame for his ragtime compositions and was dubbed the "King of Ragtime Writers". During his brief career, he wrote 44 original ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas. One of his first pieces, the "Maple Leaf Rag", became ragtime's first and most influential hit, and has been recognized as the archetypal rag... (wikipedia)

It is never right to play ragtime fast.
When I'm dead twenty-five years, people are going to begin to recognize me.