Andre Watts was born on June 20, 1946. He is an African American
concert pianist, and the first Black concert pianist to achieve
international super stardom.
He was Born in Nuremburg, Germany, the son of an African American
career soldier, Sergeant Herman Watts, and a Hungarian mother, Maria
Alexandra Gusmits. Young Watts lived in Europe, mostly near army posts,
until the age of eight. A change in his father's military assignment
caused the family to move to the United States and settle in
Philadelphia. Watts began studying the violin at age four. By the time
he was six he made it known that his preference was for the piano, so
his mother, a pianist herself, gave him his first lessons.
At the time, he loved to play but hated to practice. When his habit
persisted, his mother began relaying stories of her countryman, pianist,
and composer Franz Liszt, emphasizing the fact that he practiced
faithfully. Liszt soon became Watt’s hero, and he even adopted Liszt's
bravura playing style. The family unit remained intact until 1962, when
Herman and Maria were divorced. Watts remained with his mother, whom he
credits with considerable influence in his development. She worked to
support herself and young Andre, first as a secretary and later as a
receptionist in an art gallery.
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Source: The African American Registry
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