Scott Joplin was a renowned African-American composer and pianist known as the "King of Ragtime." He composed over 40 ragtime pieces, including the iconic "Maple Leaf Rag." Joplin considered ragtime a form of classical music meant for concert halls, distinct from the honky-tonk style prevalent in saloons. He grew up in Texarkana, Arkansas, in a musical family and received education from local teachers, including Julius Weiss, who introduced him to folk and classical music. In the late 1880s, Joplin became an itinerant musician, traveling through the American South and eventually reaching Chicago, where he witnessed the rise of ragtime's popularity during the 1893 World's Fair. He settled in Sedalia, Missouri, in 1894, teaching piano and composing. His "Maple Leaf Rag" gained fame, and Joplin moved to St. Louis in 1901, producing notable works like "The Entertainer" and "The Ragtime Dance." Joplin faced personal and professional challenges, including a failed opera production and declining health due to syphilis. He moved to New York City in 1907 and continued composing. Sadly, his health deteriorated, and he died in a mental institution in 1917 at the age of 48. Joplin's music saw a resurgence in the 1970s, with the release of a million-selling album and the success of the film "The Sting," featuring his compositions. He was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1976.