Cecil Duane Crabb

Who was Cecil Duane Crabb?

Cecil Duane Crabb was an American composer of ragtime music and a member of Indianapolis group of ragtime composers.

He was born in Centerville, Indiana to James and Sarah E. Crabb. He moved to Indianapolis in 1908. Crabb composed only four albeit significant ragtime pieces including his best known Fluffly Ruffles from 1907. He had a job at a small publishing firm J.H. Aufderheide & Company that published ragtime by Indianapolis composers. Originally a sign painter, he had also designed cover art for ragtimes of Aufderheide composers, such as May Aufderheide and Will B. Morrison. His primary career was in the sign business as co-owner for many years of the Indianapolis firm Staley and Crabb, now known as Staley Signs. He died in Wisconsin at the age of 62 and was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis. He had at least three children, one of whom became Brig. General Cecil D. Crabb.