John Philip Sousa (November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American musician and composer. He was born in Washington, DC. His father was of Portuguese ancestry and his mother of Bavarian. In 1880, he was appointed conductor of the United States Marine Corps band. He wrote military marches and other patriotic music. His best known works are "Semper Fidelis" (the Official United States Marine Corps march), "The Stars and Stripes Forever" (the National March of the United States of America), and "The Washington Post". Sousa died of heart failure in Reading, Pennsylvania. He is buried in the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC.