Stephen Foster

American composer born July 4, 1826 in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania and died January 13, 1864 in New York City, known as "the father of American music", primarily for his parlour and minstrel music during the Romantic period. He has been identified as "the most famous songwriter of the nineteenth century".

He wrote more than 200 songs such as "Oh! Susanna", "Camptown Races", "Old Folks at Home", "Swanee River", "Hard Times Come Again No More", "My Old Kentucky Home", "Old Black Joe", "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair", and "Beautiful Dreamer" and many remain popular Today.

Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.