The First American Superstar

John Philip Sousa was an American entertainer and composer. He is best remembered for his marches, his band, and his patriotism. Known as the "March King," he wrote 136 marches, including The Stars and Stripes Forever, the national march of the United States. He also wrote many other musical pieces, including operettas, popular songs, waltzes and more, as well as seven books and many articles. He first became famous while serving as the leader of the U.S. Marine Band. Later he formed his own band, the Sousa Band, which toured for 39 years and entertained millions of people.

This information on John Philip Sousa is from the America's Story page, published by the Library of Congress. Look at the page and read more stories about Sousa.Go to the Jammin Jutebox in the See, Hear and Sing section and choose The Stars and Stripes Forever. Then explore other stories about people from America's history.