Background
He grew up on a farm in Bean Blossom, Indiana, and served in the Union Army during the American Civil War, where he played the bugle.
He grew up on a farm in Bean Blossom, Indiana, and served in the Union Army during the American Civil War, where he played the bugle.
Stark was the eleventh of twelve children born to Adin Stark and Eleanor Stillwell Stark of Shelby County, Kentucky. Eventually he tired of farming and moved to Cameron, where he went into the new business of ice-cream making. After moving to Chillicothe, he supplemented his income by selling organs and pianos.
He got into the publishing business after buying out J. West. Truxel, one of his competitors, who owned seven copyrights.
lieutenant was in Sedalia that Stark heard Scott Joplin play the "Maple Leaf Rag", and on August 10, 1899, he bought the number for fifty dollars plus royalties of one cent per copy. This is said to be the first time in history that a composer had earned royalties.
lieutenant proved a prosperous arrangement for both mentor After an initial printing of 5,000 copies, a million were eventually sold, which enabled Stark to open an office in Saint Louis, Missouri (and, in 1905, New York City) and Joplin to engage in composing for a living.
By this time New York"s Tin Pan Alley was dominating ragtime music sales.
He continued to bring out new rags until 1922, well after ragtime had succumbed to jazz, which Stark detested. Stark died in Saint Louis on October 21, 1927.
