Billy Mayerl - Early Life

Early Life

Mayerl was born into a musical family on London's Tottenham Court Road, near the West End theatre district. His father, a violin player, attempted to introduce Mayerl to the violin at the age of four but failed. After noticing Mayerl's affinity for the piano he started him with piano lessons soon afterward and by the age of 7 he was studying at the Trinity College of Music, paid for with a series of scholarships. His first major concert was at the age of nine, playing Grieg's Piano Concerto. In his teens, he supplemented these lessons by accompanying silent movies and playing at dances.

While studying at Trinity College Mayerl began visiting a local music arcade known as 'Gayland', where he first encountered American ragtime music. After trying his hand at composing ragtime, he was threatened with expulsion from Trinity College if he continued and it was a decade before his first composition was re-issued as 'The Jazz Master'.

Attracted to American popular music, Mayerl joined a Southampton hotel band in 1921. He recorded approximately 37 piano rolls for the "Echo" label in London of various popular tunes of the early 20s. Subsequently he joined the Savoy Havana Band in London, which led to him becoming a celebrity. In the late 20s he recorded in London one single title (Eskimo Shivers) on the "Duo-Art" player piano system for the Aeolian Company.