Editing Erroll Garner (section)

==Life and career==
Garner was born, along with twin brother Ernest in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on June 15, 1921,<ref>''The Most Happy Piano'' by Jim Doran, Erroll's fan and friend, featured extensive interviews with Erroll's siblings Ruth Garner (born 1917) and Linton Garner (born March 25, 1915), and a family tree giving the birthdate of Erroll and Ernest Skeen (his twin) as June 15, 1921.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/erroll-garner-played-and-composed-ear|title=Erroll Garner played and composed by ear|website=Aaregistry.org|access-date=April 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028093605/http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/erroll-garner-played-and-composed-ear|archive-date=October 28, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Wilson">{{cite news|first=John S.|last= Wilson|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B03E4D81E3FEF3BBC4B53DFB766838C669EDE |title=Erroll Garner, Jazz Pianist, 53; Composed 'Misty,' 'That's My Kick' |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |page=23|date=January 3, 1977 |access-date=August 2, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = University of Pittsburgh Commemorates Black History Month | publisher=University of Pittsburgh News | url = http://www.news.pitt.edu/news/university-pittsburgh-commemorates-black-history-month | access-date = July 24, 2016 | date= January 26, 2016 }}</ref> the youngest of six children.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2007/09/19/14501602/erroll-garner-the-joy-of-a-genius|title=Erroll Garner: 'The Joy of a Genius'|first=George Shearing|last=Pianist|website=Npr.org|access-date=April 30, 2019}}</ref> He attended [[Westinghouse High School (Pittsburgh)|George Westinghouse High School]] (as did fellow pianists [[Billy Strayhorn]] and [[Ahmad Jamal]]). Interviews with his family, music teachers, other musicians, and a detailed family tree can be found in ''Erroll Garner: The Most Happy Piano'' by James M. Doran.<ref name="Doran - The Most Happy Piano" />

===Piano career===
[[File:Erroll-Garner-1964.jpg|thumb|Erroll Garner during his visit to Helsinki, Finland, in November 1964]]
Garner began playing piano at the age of three. His elder siblings were taught piano by a "Miss Bowman." From an early age, Erroll would sit down and play anything she had demonstrated, "just like Miss Bowman", his eldest sister Martha said.<ref name="Doran - The Most Happy Piano" /> Garner was self-taught and remained an [[Learning music by ear|"ear player"]] all his life, never learning to read music.<ref name="Wilson"/> At age 7, he began appearing on the radio station [[KDKA (AM)|KDKA]] in Pittsburgh with a group named the Candy Kids. By age 11, he was playing on the Allegheny riverboats. In 1937 he joined local saxophonist [[Leroy Brown (musician)|Leroy Brown]].

He played locally in the shadow of [[Linton Garner]], his older brother, also a pianist.

Garner moved to New York City in 1944.<ref name="auto"/> He briefly worked with the bassist [[Slam Stewart]], and although not a [[bebop]] musician per se, in 1947 played with [[Charlie Parker]] on the "Cool Blues" session. Although his admission to the Pittsburgh music union initially was refused because of his inability to read music, the union relented in 1956 and made him an honorary member.<ref name="Wilson"/> Garner is credited with a superb musical memory. After attending a concert by Russian classical pianist [[Emil Gilels]], Garner returned to his apartment and was able to play a large portion of the performed music by memory.<ref name="Wilson"/>

===Columbia Records Lawsuit===
Garner sued Columbia Records in 1960 for breach of contract after Columbia released several recordings without Garner's consent. Garner had signed a five-year deal with Columbia in 1956, which contained an unprecedented clause (negotiated with the aid of manager Martha Glaser) giving Garner the right to approve the release of any of his recorded music. After three years of litigation, during which time Columbia continued to release Garner recordings against his will, the New York State Supreme Court ruled in Garner's favor in a landmark decision with regard to artist's rights, and Columbia paid Garner a substantial settlement and recalled all of the unauthorized records from its distributors.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The True Story of Erroll Garner, the First Artist to Sue a Major Label and Win|first= Dan |last=Ouelette|magazine= [[Variety Magazine]]|date= November 22, 2019|url= https://variety.com/2019/music/news/the-true-story-of-erroll-garner-the-first-artist-to-sue-a-major-label-and-win-1203413083/}}</ref>

===Martha Glaser===
Garner was managed by [[Martha Farkas Glaser|Martha Glaser]] from 1950 until his death in 1977,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pitt.libguides.com/ErrollGarner/MarthaGlaser|title=LibGuides: Erroll Garner Archive @ Pitt: Martha Glaser|first=Archives & Special Collections|last=ULS|website=Pitt.libguides.com|access-date=April 30, 2019}}</ref> with a period of this time as her only client.<ref name="nepr.net">{{cite web|url=https://digital.nepr.net/music/2013/10/23/erroll-garner-no-one-can-hear-you-read/|title=Erroll Garner: No One Can Hear You Read|website=Digital.nepr.net|date=October 23, 2013|access-date=April 30, 2019}}</ref>

===Death===
Garner died of cardiac arrest related to [[emphysema]] on January 2, 1977, aged 55.<ref name="Wilson"/> He is buried in Pittsburgh's [[Homewood Cemetery]].