Johnny Wiggs was a jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 musician and band leader.

Born John Wigginton Hyman on in New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...

, he started his music career on the violin

Violin

The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....

. He soon adopted the cornet

Cornet

The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...

 and moved to New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 for some time before returning to New Orleans. His main stylistic influences were Joe "King" Oliver (who Wiggs insisted did his best work in New Orleans in the years before he moved up North and was recorded) and Bix Beiderbecke

Bix Beiderbecke

Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke was an American jazz cornetist, jazz pianist, and composer.With Louis Armstrong, Beiderbecke was one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s...

.

In the late 1920s he took a job as a teacher in Louisiana

Louisiana

Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

 and moonlighted in New Orleans jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 clubs at night. He made his first recordings as "John Hyman's Bayou Stompers" in the late 1920s.

In the 1940s he again became a full time musician, leading seveal bands and laying down a good number of tracks. He took on the nickname "Johnny Wiggs" for his musical work as jazz was still looked down on in some circles. He became an important figure in the local traditional jazz revival. In the 1960s he returned to performing part time only, though he remained active until the 1970s. He was a mentor to such younger musicians as George Finola.

Along the way he helped found the New Orleans Jazz Club and was a force behind the jazz revival in the 1940s. Pete Fountain

Pete Fountain

Pete Fountain , is an American clarinetist based in New Orleans. He has played jazz, Dixieland and Creole music.-Early life and education:...

is one of his more famous pupils.

Johnny Wiggs died in New Orleans.

External links

• Photo
• http://www.satchmo.com/nolavl/noladirw.html
• http://www.answers.com/topic/johnny-wiggs
• http://www.booze-bros.com/snoozer.html
• http://www.nojazzclub.com/history.htm