Scott Joplin was born in Northeast Texas in around 1867, just outside of Texarkana, and died April 1st 1917 in New York of dementia brought on by advanced syphilis. He was an American composer and pianist, who achieved fame for his ragtime compositions, and was dubbed "The King of Ragtime". During his brief career, Joplin wrote over 40 original ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas. One of his first pieces, the Maple Leaf Rag (1899) has been recognized as the archetypal rag and influenced subsequent rag composers for at least 12 years thanks to its rhythmic patterns, melody lines, and harmony.