Stephen Foster.

Stephen Foster

Stephen was the 9th kid in his family out of 9 children. He was born on July 4, 1826 in a town just outside Pittsburg called Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. His parents were Eliza and William Foster. They lived in a very nice house, close to their hearts, nicknamed the White Cottage. Sadly, he was just 3 years old when he was forced to leave his home because of financial problems. Stephen did not go to a public school, but was educated by private tutors and went to private academies in Pittsburg. He began to slack off on his studies to spend more time composing.

By the age of 7, Stephen could play the flute, and by the time he was 18 he had already published the famous song, "Open Thy Lattice Love." Stephen composed so many famous musical hits such as "Oh Susana", "Camp town Races", and "Nellie was a Lady." "Nellie was a Lady" was the first song written that called a black woman a lady. This was a big deal back then. He wrote this song partially because he was sick of the trashy and offensive tone that blackface music contained.

Foster married a girl named Jane, who bore him a child named Marion Foster. Although his family life became less important as his music career took off. He became stressed, and impulsive. HE demanded complete silence while he composed, which was often. He threw fits when his wife wanted him to spend time with not only her, but his kid