Max Edward Morath, a renowned musician and performer, graced the stages of various popular television and radio programs such as “The Bell Telephone Hour,” “Kraft Music Hall,” “Today,” “The Tonight Show,” and Arthur Godfrey’s shows. Notably, Morath also produced a dazzling array of captivating productions including “The Ragtime Years,” “Living the Ragtime Life,” “The Ragtime Man,” “Ragtime Revisited,” and “Ragtime and Again.” These productions premiered Off Broadway and later embarked on successful nationwide tours, attracting audiences from all walks of life.
Reflecting upon his extensive musical career, Morath candidly confessed in a 2019 interview, “I must have performed in countless venues, and not all of them were high-class establishments. Most of the time, I found myself playing in saloons where I had to adapt to a variety of musical genres. Piano bars were particularly demanding, requiring knowledge of around 1,500 tunes as you played requested songs. I performed a repertoire that included works from the greats such as Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Rodgers and Hart.”
Despite the passing years, Morath persisted in touring until his retirement in 2007. During this time, he had earned the well-deserved title of “Mr. Ragtime,” tirelessly preserving America’s cherished ragtime legacy.
When asked to recall a favorite memory from his life in music, Morath delved deep into his childhood recollections. “Actually,” he pondered for a moment, “it was when I was only 7 years old and heard my mother playing a composition by Joplin called ‘The Original Rag.’ It was a published piece from Kansas City, and somehow my mother managed to acquire it. We had a piano bench filled with a treasure trove of sheet music, mostly show tunes, but ‘Original Rag’ remained my absolute favorite.”
Max Edward Morath was born on October 1, 1926, in Colorado Springs. He came into the world as the younger of two sons to Frederic Morath, a real estate broker, and Gladys (Ramsell) Morath. At the age of 4, Max’s parents divorced, leading his mother to become the society editor for The Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph, while his father embarked on a new life in Europe, remarrying and pursuing his passion for mountaineering in the Alps and the Pyrenees.
Max and his brother, Frederic, attended local public schools, and Max was actively involved in choir and theater at Colorado Springs High School. As a senior, he even secured a position as a radio announcer for KVOR, also known as the Voice of the Rockies. After graduating in 1944, Max juggled his college expenses by working as a pianist and newscaster for the same station. He eventually enrolled at Colorado College and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English in 1948.
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