Erroll Garner and his composition "Misty".

Erroll Garner never learned to read music, but had an innate sense of music under which he wrote this and others. His ability to play what he heard in his musical mind's eye is legendary.


Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1921, Erroll began playing piano at the age of 3. He attended George Westinghouse High School, as did fellow pianists Billy Strayhorn and Ahmad Jamal. Garner was self-taught and remained an "ear player" all his life. At the age of 7, Garner began appearing on radio station KDKA in Pittsburgh with a group called the Candy Kids. By the age of 11, he was playing on the Allegheny riverboats. At age 14 in 1937 he joined local saxophonist Leroy Brown. (source:s wikipedia, allmusic.com).

Born, June 15, 1921, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Died, January 2, 1977 (aged 55).