Fred Jewell

Frederick Alton Jewell, born 1875 in Worthington, Indiana, was a prolific musical composer who wrote over 100 marches and screamers, his most popular being:

• Quality Plus (1913)
• E Plurbius Unum (1917)
• Supreme Triumph (1920)
• The Screamer (1921)
• The Old Circus Band (1923)

At the age of 16, Jewell ran away from home and joined the Gentry Bros. Dog & Pony Show as a euphonium player.

After making excellent impressions with successful circus officials, Jewell rose through the ranks, and eventually landed himself as the leader of the Barnum & Bailey's Greatest Show on Earth band (coincidentially like Karl King, another successful American composer of his time).

Jewell's circus career ended in 1917. He travels to Iowa and takes leadership of the Iowa Brigade Band . From there he begins his own publishing company and moves back to his hometown Worthington, and serves as high school band director, as well as a steady composer of band music.

Frederick Jewell dies in 1936 at the age of 61 in Worthington.