Gladys Yelvington

Gladys Yelvington's "Piffle Rag" from 1911

Gladys E. Yelvington (Parsons) (November 29, 1891 – February 11, 1957[1]) was a ragtime composer and friend of May Aufderheide[2] and Julia Lee Niebergall. She was born in Elwood, Indiana to Asa and Alice Yelvington.[1]

She composed and performed as a silent-movie pianist in Indianapolis and Alexandria.[3]

She returned to Elwood in 1910, and performed regularly at the Princess Theatre.[4] In 1912 she married Leo G. Parsons (1887-1958), a cigar salesman, in Elwood in 1912.[5][6] This ended her professional music career.[7] They moved to Gary, Indiana in 1917, where she died in 1957.[1]

Piffle Rag

Her only surviving published composition is the Piffle Rag, published by J.H. Aufderheide in 1911 and Mentel Bros in 1914.[8]

It has been recorded by pianists Max Morath, Virginia Eskin, and Nancy Fierro.

Remy Charlip choreographed his "air mail dance" Garden Lilacs, set to the Piffle Rag. It was performed by Betsy Kagan in San Francisco in 1991.[9]

References

1. Death notice in the Anderson Daily Bulletin, 13 Feb 1957, Wed, Page 10 via newspapers.com
2. David A. Jasen; Trebor Jay Tichenor (1978). Rags and Ragtime: A Musical History. Courier Corporation. p. 148. ISBN 978-0-486-25922-2.
3. Pool, Jeannie G.; Spiegel, Laurie; Grant, Barbara L.; McGinnis, Ann Cain; Smith, La Donna; Hilderley, Jeriann; Weber, Julie J.; Gardner, Kay; Rosen, Judith; Thompson, J. K.; Semegen, Daria; Wilson, Lynn; Anderson, Beth; Jepson, Barbara; Cardullo, Karen M. (1980). "Heresies: A Feminist Publication on Arts & Politics: Heresies: A Feminist Publication on Arts & Politics". Heresies: A Feminist Publication on Arts & Politics. 3 (2 (10)).
4. "Princess Theatre". The Elwood Call Leader. November 20, 1911. p. 4.
5. "Society and Personal Items". The Alexandria Times-Tribune. September 3, 1912. p. 5.
6. "Parsons-Yelvington". The Elwood Call Leader. September 2, 1912. p. 1.
7. History of Madison County, Indiana: A Narrative Account of Its Historical Progress, Its People and Its Principal Interests. Lewis Publishing Company. 1914. p. 579.
8. Rudi Blesh (16 April 2013). They All Played Ragtime - The True Story of an American Music. Read Books Limited. p. 361. ISBN 978-1-4465-4690-1.
9. Ulrich, Allan (May 6, 1991). "Fusing Decades of Dance". The San Francisco Examiner. p. 27.