Jazz Musician (1910–1981)
Born in Georgia and raised in Pittsburgh, Mary Lou Williams taught herself to play piano at the age of three; by six, she was helping support her ten siblings by performing at parties. At fifteen, she began her professional career traveling the country with a jazz band. She became one of the great jazz musicians and composers of her time, working with and
mentoring musicians like Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, and Charlie Parker, while recording scores of albums.
And yet, after a two-year stint in England and Paris, she walked away from music and embarked on a spiritual quest, resulting in her reception in the Catholic Church. Living an
ascetic life in New York, she devoted herself primarily to aiding fellow musicians suffering from alcohol and heroin addiction. A Jesuit priest, Fr. James Wood, was among those who encouraged her return to music—persuading her that this was her way to serve the world and glorify God.
Williams went on to compose numerous liturgical pieces that were performed in St. Patrick’s Cathedral and around the world. She also composed pieces that honored the African American freedom struggle. Her music was infused by her deep spirituality. “I am praying through my fingers when I play,” she said. “I get that good ‘soul sound,’ and I try to touch
people’s spirits.” She died on May 28, 1981.
“From suffering came the Negro spirituals, songs of joy, and songs of sorrow. . . . Because of the deeply religious background of the American Negro, he was able to mix this strong influence with rhythms that reached deep enough into the inner self to give expression to outcries of sincere joy, which became known as Jazz.” —Mary Lou Williams
