Photo: William P. Gottlieb / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
To me, Art Tatum isn't just a great jazz pianist, he's the ceiling that other pianists quietly measure themselves against. What moves me most is that a man with severe visual impairment, born in Toledo, produced playing so dense and fast that peers reportedly assumed they were hearing two people. The Grammy Lifetime Achievement and Hall of Fame honors arrived largely after his early death in 1956, which feels right and unfair at once. I keep returning to him because his recordings make virtuosity sound like joy rather than effort, and that combination is genuinely rare.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Art Tatum
- Name (Japanese)
- アート・テイタム
- Reading
- あーと・ていたむ
- Born
- October 13, 1909 – November 5, 1956
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Rooster
- Origin
- Toledo, Ohio, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- pianist / jazz musician / musician
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 1989 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- 1988 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- 1985 Grammy Hall of Fame
- 1977 Grammy Hall of Fame
- 1973 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Art Tatum born?
October 13, 1909 – November 5, 1956.
Where is Art Tatum from?
Art Tatum is from Toledo, Ohio, United States.
What does Art Tatum do?
Art Tatum works as pianist, jazz musician, musician.
Pianist — see all → · Jazz musician — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.