The State Historical Society of Missouri
Famous Missouri Entrepreneurs
John Stillwell Stark (1841–1927)
[Misc. Iconographic Collection Performing Arts Reading Room, Library of Congress]
John Stillwell Stark was the main publisher of Scott Joplin’s musical compositions. Born in Kentucky on April 11, 1841, Stark grew up in Indiana. He moved to Sedalia, Missouri, in 1882. There he opened a small music shop and within a few years was able to purchase a local music publishing firm. He renamed the company John Stark & Son.
Stark published Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag in 1899. This song was very popular and brought Stark a steady income that allowed him to advance his publishing business and move to St. Louis in 1901. Stark, guided by his musically talented daughter Eleanor, believed strongly that the classic ragtime of Scott Joplin was important and should be published and promoted. Stark also published the works of other ragtime composers who had worked with or knew Joplin. These composers include James Lamb, Arthur Marshall, Scott Hayden, James Scott, and others. Stark spent several years in New York City’s Tin Pan Alley, but eventually returned to St. Louis, where he died on October 21, 1927. He is buried in St. Peter’s Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri.
- For Stark’s obituary, see: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 21, 1927, p. 44.
