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303:. It could be said that King did for the circus march what Sousa did for the patriotic march. He seemed to like composing under pressure and often composed in tight spots (such as by oil lamp in cramped circus tents). His name appeared on the sheet music as Karl King, K. L. King, and sometimes Carl Lawrence.
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King was instrumental in the passage of the Iowa Band Law in 1921, which allowed cities to levy a local tax for maintenance of a band. He commemorated this with one of his marches, "Iowa Band Law". In 1960, King would direct "Iowa Band Law" with the largest mass band ever assembled: 188 high school
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He grew up as a self-taught musician with very little schooling of any kind (he left school after the eighth grade, age fourteen). His only music instruction included assistance from local musicians when he played brass instruments in the Canton Marine Band. He also had four piano lessons and one
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band under Ned Brill. At the request of Brill he wrote (and dedicated to Brill) "Barnum & Bailey's
Favorite", his most famous march and possibly the most recognizable American music written specifically for the circus. It would soon be adopted as the theme of the circus.
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combined shows band. He became bandmaster for the Sells-Floto Circus in 1915 and was bandmaster of the Barnum and Bailey Circus band 1917–1918. In his final band, he included his wife Ruth (Lovett) as the calliope performer. He had married Ruth
November 17, 1916.
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King remained in Canton as director of the local band. He began a music publishing business, the K.L. King Music House in 1919, the same year his only child Karl L. King, Jr. was born. The first publication of his new music company was "Broadway One-Step".
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A disastrous fire on
January 12, 1971, destroyed the Knights of Columbus Hall where the Fort Dodge Band held rehearsals and stored instruments and uniforms. The hall also held most of Karl King's original manuscripts, including special arrangements.
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harmony lesson from musical show director
William Bradford. He learned to compose by studying scores. He quit school to learn the printing trade (while composing music at night), but soon switched to playing in and composing for bands.
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at age 80 in a Fort Dodge, Iowa hospital. He and his wife Ruth I. (Lovett) King (June 10, 1898 – July 4, 1988) are buried at North Lawn
Cemetery. Their only son Karl L. King, Jr. was born in 1919 and died November 19, 1987.
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King's publishers included J. E. Agnew, C.L. Barnhouse, Fillmore
Brothers, Kalmus, Rubank Inc., R. F. Seitz, William E. Strassner, and Volkwein Brothers Inc. as well as his own publishing company Karl L. King Music House.
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His first known composition still extant was composed for the Thayer
Military Band while he was performing it in – titled "March T.M.B." (1909). His first copyrighted work was "Moonlight on the Nile Waltz" (also 1909).
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under conductor
Woodring Van Anda ("Woody Van"). The next year he was performing in the Yankee Robinson Circus band under Theo. Stout. In 1912, he performed in the
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His first professional positions were in the Thayer
Military Band in Canton, directed by William E. Strassner followed by the Neddermeyer Band of
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Golden Age of the March – Volume 1. (includes 12 of King's marches) The
Washington Winds, Edward Petersen. CD: Walking Frog Records WFR 101.
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Barnum & Bailey’s Favorite: The Music of Karl L. King. Virginia Grand Military Band, Loras J. Schissel. CD: Walking Frog Records WFR338.
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1971 – Edwin Franco Goldman Award of the American School Bandmasters Association (first non-school band director to receive this award)
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Tradition: Legacy of the March Composer Series Karl L. King. Texas A&M University Bands, Timothy Rhea. CD: Mark Masters 7267-MCD.
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The following is selective. Note that the volumes in the Heritage of the March series are typically half filled with King marches.
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Studwell, William E. and Charles P. Conrad and Bruce R. Schueneman. Circus Songs: An Annotated Anthology. The Haworth Press, 1999.
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In an interview in the last year of his life, King stated that his proudest moment was conducting the Barnum and Bailey band in
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Hatton, Thomas J. Hawkeye Glory: The History of the Karl L. King Municipal Band of Fort Dodge, Iowa. Golden Dragon Press, 2002.
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180:. This was in 1920 (age 29) and for the next fifty-one years he conducted the Fort Dodge Municipal Band, which featured future
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321:" (1913) remains his best-known composition, but other pieces that retain their popularity among fans of band music include:
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A physical description of Karl King in the 1951 Who's Who in Music: brown eyes, brown hair, 6’1” in height, 200 pounds.
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314:. He also contributed greatly to the school band movement with numerous compositions at various levels of difficulty.
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He was given a testimonial dinner for 250 people in 1951 at the age of 59 where band directors including
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The Music of Karl King. University of Illinois Symphonic Band, Harry Begian. LP: Golden Crest CRS 1096.
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Hatton, Thomas J. Karl L. King: An American Bandmaster. Evanston, Illinois: Instrumentalist Co., 1975.
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King's marches for circus bands are usually composed at a high difficulty level (grade 4–5 typically)
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This article is about the bandmaster and composer. For the U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania, see
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1980 – National Band Association names Karl King to the Hall of Fame of Distinguished Band Conductors
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LPs: volumes 25, L, N, R, CC, DD, NN, QQ, RR, SS, TT, YY, HHH, III, QQQ, XXX, ZZZ, FFFF, and GGGG.
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bands and nearly 13,000 musicians at a nationally televised University of Michigan football game.
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Circus Spectacular: The Band Music of K.L. King. Circus Band, Matthew H. Phillips. CD: Vox 7541.
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1974 – first inductee to Windjammers Unlimited (Circus Music Historical Society) Hall of Fame
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Rehrig, William H. The Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music, volume 1. Integrity Press, 1991.
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Salute to Karl King. Band of Her Majesty’s Life Guards, W. Jackson. LP: Philips SBL 7925.
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After a year in Canton where he directed the Grand Army Band (1919) King settled down in
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59:. He was the only child of Sandusky S. and Anna Lindsey King. The King family moved to
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In 1910 at the age of 19, he began a short career playing baritone in and directing
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1975 – Iowa Award given posthumously, highest award state can bestow an individual
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1953 – Honorary Doctor of Music degree from Phillips University in Enid, Oklahoma
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King's final published march was "The Home Town Boy March" (1962) dedicated to
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1962 – Karl L. King Viaduct over the Des Moines River dedicated at Fort Dodge
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Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians volume 3. Schirmer Books, 2001.
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president Joseph Hermann on clarinet. The band became known as King's Band.
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Karl King's colorful life began in Paintersville, Ohio, on Feb. 21, 1891
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1976 – Fort Dodge Band Shell renovated and named in honor of Karl King
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His first full-time conducting job was in 1914 through 1915 with the
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1967–1971 – Honorary Life President American Bandmasters Association
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1964 – Elected to the Society of European Stage Actors and Composers
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under W.P. English (a famous march composer), and in 1913 in the
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449:"The Purple Pageant" (1933, written for Northwestern University)
446:"Pride of the Illini" (1928, written for University of Illinois)
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bandmaster and composer. He is best known as the composer of "
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39:(February 21, 1891 – February 19, 1971) was a United States
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1962 – Elected to the Academy of Wind and Percussion Arts
262:" was written in 1910 at the beginning of King's career.
521:1929 – Elected to American Bandmasters Association
279:King the composer published more than 300 works:
750:Distinguished Service to Music Medal recipients
624:. Ammark Publishing Company. 1970. p. 44.
567:2006 – Karl King Statue dedicated in Fort Dodge
479:"The Viking March" (1911, later used to create
55:Karl Lawrence King was born in the village of
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564:1995 – Inducted into the Circus Ring of Fame
214:Karl King died on March 31, 1971, of acute
755:20th-century American conductors (music)
621:The School Musician Director and Teacher
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676:Biographical info plus listing of works
670:Biographical info plus photos and music
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473:"The University of North Dakota" (1935)
434:"The New Madison Square Garden" (1926)
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149:, which King considered his home base.
674:Karl King page at C. L. Barnhouse Co.
461:"The Royal Scotch Highlanders" (1919)
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770:20th-century American male musicians
542:Distinguished Service to Music Medal
540:National Honorary Band Fraternity
159:Great Lakes Naval Training Station
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715:American male classical composers
493:"War March of the Tartars" (1938)
710:20th-century classical composers
455:"Robinson's Grand Entrée" (1911)
270:Problems playing this file? See
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182:American Bandmasters Association
98:bands. That year, he joined the
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740:People from Greene County, Ohio
31:American composer and conductor
406:”Iowa Centennial March” (1946)
90:Circus band trouping 1910–1918
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765:Classical musicians from Ohio
211:, the governor of Iowa). BBC
120:Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show
745:People from Fort Dodge, Iowa
720:American classical composers
437:"The New Corn Palace" (1921)
319:Barnum and Bailey's Favorite
45:Barnum and Bailey's Favorite
394:"Homestretch Gallop" (1912)
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705:Deaths from diverticulitis
662:Karl King Score Collection
467:"The Trombone King" (1945)
391:"The Golden Dragon" (1917)
367:"Emblem of Freedom" (1910)
361:"The Desert Patrol" (1934)
343:"Broadway One-Step" (1919)
143:Oleson Park Music Pavilion
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490:"The Walking Frog" (1919)
409:"Kentucky Sunrise" (1919)
397:"Hosts of Freedom" (1920)
388:"Glorious America" (1955)
331:"Attorney General" (1921)
27:Portrait of Karl L. King.
418:"March Ponderoso" (1910)
379:"Gallant Marines" (1942)
358:"Cyrus The Great" (1921)
325:"Aces of the Air" (1942)
470:"United Nations" (1942)
382:"Garland Entrée" (1912)
134:Life after circus bands
415:"Lt. Commander" (1934)
412:"Liberty Fleet" (1942)
403:”Iowa Band Law” (1921)
373:"Flying Cadets" (1942)
299:, and 188 marches and
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587:Heritage of the March
476:"Valley Forge" (1943)
458:"Rough Riders" (1943)
452:"Ragged Rozey" (1913)
440:"Night Flight" (1942)
428:"Miss Liberty" (1955)
376:"Freedom City" (1955)
349:"Burma Patrol" (1942)
334:"The Big Cage" (1934)
328:"Allied Honor" (1955)
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207:attended (as well as
205:William H. Santelmann
197:Albert Austin Harding
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128:Madison Square Garden
100:Robinson Famous Shows
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725:American bandleaders
496:"Woody Van's" (1911)
485:Indiana, Our Indiana
385:"General Lee" (1943)
355:"Circus Days" (1944)
346:"Bunker Hill" (1943)
312:American march music
209:William S. Beardsley
443:"Peacemaker" (1955)
352:"Carrollton" (1909)
193:Glenn Cliffe Bainum
153:King hoped to join
57:Paintersville, Ohio
481:Indiana University
431:"Mystic Call" 1913
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116:Sells Floto Circus
104:Sells-Floto Circus
84:Danville, Illinois
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516:Awards and honors
464:"Sarasota" (1918)
400:"Invictus" (1921)
370:"Fidelity" (1912)
337:"Big Four" (1955)
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244:"The Melody Shop"
155:John Philip Sousa
108:Barnum and Bailey
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340:"Bolivar" (1918)
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61:Canton, Ohio
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37:Karl L. King
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18:Karl C. King
700:1971 deaths
695:1891 births
679:findagrave
572:Discography
163:World War I
41:march music
689:Categories
606:References
272:media help
167:Camp Grant
51:Early life
301:screamers
293:serenades
289:overtures
425:" (1910)
536:1967 –
285:waltzes
161:during
157:at the
281:galops
203:, and
96:circus
65:cornet
297:rags
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