Editing Moondog (section)

{{Short description|American composer (1916–1999)}}
{{About|the American-born composer}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Moondog
| image             = Moondog 1948.jpg
| background        = composer
| caption           = Moondog in 1948
| birth_name        = Louis Thomas Hardin
| birth_date        = {{birth date|1916|05|26}}
| birth_place       = [[Marysville, Kansas|Marysville]], [[Kansas]], U.S.
| death_date        = {{death date and age|1999|9|8|1916|5|26}}
| death_place       = [[Münster]], Germany
| genre             = {{hlist|[[20th-century classical music|Classical]]|[[Avant-garde music|avant-garde]]|[[jazz]]}}
| occupation        = {{hlist|[[Composer]]|musician|instrument maker}}
| instrument        = {{hlist|Percussion|vocals|keyboards}}
| years_active      = 1932–1999
| label             = {{hlist|SMC|[[Epic Records|Epic]]|Moondog|[[Prestige Records|Prestige]]|[[Columbia Records|Columbia]]|Kopf}}
| associated_acts   = 
}}

'''Louis Thomas Hardin''' (May 26, 1916&nbsp;– September 8, 1999), known professionally as '''Moondog''', was an American composer, musician, performer, [[Music theory|music theoretician]], poet and inventor of musical instruments. Largely self-taught as a composer, his prolific work widely drew inspiration from [[jazz]], [[20th-century classical music|classical]], [[Native American music]] which he had become familiar with as a child,<ref name="Scotto, R. M. 2007 p. 45">Scotto, R. M., Hardin, L., Reich, S., Glass, P., Gibson, J., Jordan, P., & Lakatos, S. (2007). ''Moondog, the Viking of 6th Avenue: The authorized biography''. Los Angeles, Calif: Process. p. 45. {{ISBN|9780976082286}}.</ref> and [[Latin American music in the United States|Latin American music]].<ref name="dixon">{{cite news |title=That Mahatma-Like Figure You Saw in Dixon Monday, Was Our Old Pal Moon-Dog |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/dixon-evening-telegraph-aug-23-1949-p-6/ |access-date=November 8, 2021 |work=Dixon Evening Telegraph |date=August 23, 1949 |quote=Actually, [Moondog] confesses, Snake Time is a bit of warmed-up South American rumba, whence is derived some of the Indian melodies.}}</ref> His strongly rhythmic, [[counterpoint|contrapuntal]] pieces and arrangements later influenced composers of [[minimal music]], in particular American composers [[Steve Reich]] and [[Philip Glass]].

Due to an accident, Moondog was blind from the age of 16. He lived in New York City from the late 1940s until 1972, during which time he was often found on [[Sixth Avenue]], between 52nd and 55th Streets, selling records, composing, and performing poetry. He briefly appeared in a cloak and [[horned helmet]] during the 1960s and was hence recognized as "the Viking of Sixth Avenue" by passersby and residents who were not aware of his musical career.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/arts/music/28stra.html|title=''Sidewalk Hero, on the Horns of a Revival''| author=John Strausbaugh| newspaper=[[The New York Times]]| date=October 28, 2007| access-date=2013-08-09}}</ref>