T.J. Fowler

Born September 18, 1910, in Columbus, GA, near the Alabama state line, T.J. Fowler had three brothers who, like him, were anointed at birth with initialized first names: E.J., F.C., and K.C. At the age of six, little T.J. moved with his family to the industrial boomtown of River Rouge, MI. After studying piano at home and at the Detroit Conservatory of Music, Fowler began providing musical entertainment for patrons at his father's pool hall. His earliest professional engagements were with bands led by saxophonist Guy Walters and trumpeter Clarence Dorsey. Fowler assembled his ...