William Christopher Handy is often called the "Father of the Blues" because of his enormous contribution, during the early years of the 20th century, to the introduction of this style of music to the world. Handy himself stated that, far from inventing the blues, he merely wrote them down and brought the blues to the masses.
Who is known as the father of the Blues?
Widely known as the “Father of the Blues,” Handy is recognized as one of the leaders in popularizing blues music. Young Handy’s interest in music was discouraged by his family and his church. He once saved his money and purchased a guitar which his father, Charles Bernard Handy, a pastor, made him return in exchange for a dictionary.
What is WC Handy best known for?
Musician and composer William Christopher “W.C.” Handy was born on November 16, 1873, in Florence, Alabama. Widely known as the “Father of the Blues,” Handy is recognized as one of the leaders in popularizing blues music. Young Handy’s interest in music was discouraged by his family and his church.
Is WC Handy in the Blues Hall of Fame?
Blues Music Award was known as the W. C. Handy Award until the name change in 2006. W. C. Handy Music Festival is held annually in Florence, Alabama. In 2017, his autobiography Father of the Blues was inducted in to the Blues Hall of Fame in the category of Classics of Blues Literature.
What was the name of the first blues song?
The song, which Handy renamed “Memphis Blues,” became nationally popular. In 1912, “Memphis Blues” made history when it became the first commercially published blues song. W.C. Handy started Handy Brothers Music Company and produced his next hit song, “St. Louis Blues.”
Who is known as the Father of the Blues?
For his efforts in making Blues famous, W.C. Handy is known as the “Father of the Blues.”
Who is the father of blues guitar?
Most were released as 10-inch, 78 rpm singles from 1937–1938, with a few released after his death....Robert JohnsonDiedAugust 16, 1938 (aged 27) Greenwood, MississippiGenresBlues Delta bluesOccupation(s)Musician songwriterInstrument(s)Guitar vocals harmonica8 more rows
What were WC Handy's contribution to the blues?
Handy's “Memphis Blues” was among the first blues ever published, in 1912, and his famous “St. Louis Blues” ranks as one of the most-recorded songs of all time. Handy became the public voice of the blues, often quoted in the press and saluted far and wide for his achievements.
What musician is considered to be the father of blues music?
William Christopher HandyToday's blog celebrates the career of W.C. Handy. Born in Florence, Alabama on November 16, 1873, William Christopher Handy became interested in music at an early age.
Who first started the blues?
The origins of the blues are poorly documented, but it is believed that after the American Civil War (1861–65), formerly enslaved African Americans and their descendants created this genre while working on Southern plantations, taking inspiration from hymns, minstrel show music, work songs and field hollers, ragtime, ...
Who invented the blues?
The blues originated on Southern plantations in the 19th Century. Its inventors were slaves, ex-slaves and the descendants of slaves—African-American sharecroppers who sang as they toiled in the cotton and vegetable fields.
Which figure was called the Father of the Blues and was the first to capture the blues commercially?
In 1912, “Memphis Blues” made history when it became the first commercially published blues song. W.C. Handy started Handy Brothers Music Company and produced his next hit song, “St.
Who is WC Handy and what were his contributions to the music industry?
Handy worked during the period of transition from ragtime to jazz. Drawing on the vocal blues melodies of African American folklore, he added harmonizations to his orchestral arrangements. His work helped develop the conception of the blues as a harmonic framework within which to improvise.
Who recorded the first vocal blues song?
They were about to play a song written by Perry Bradford, and to sing it with them was Mamie Smith. Called “Crazy Blues,” it is the first blues record.
Who wrote the first blues song?
The first blues song published was called “I Got The Blues”. It was a ragtime blues, written by Anthony Maggio and published in 1908. The second blues song published was the “Dallas Blues” written by Hart Wand and published in March 1912.
Who is known as the Mother of the blues?
Rainey passed away from heart disease on December 22, 1939 at the age of 53. Tischler, Barbara L. "Rainey, Ma (26 April 1886–22 December 1939), vaudeville, blues, and jazz singer and self-proclaimed "Mother of the Blues"." American National Biography.
Who is the most famous blues performer?
popularity is the % of people who have a positive opinion of a blues music artist. Find out more1 Ray Charles73%2 B.B. King67%4 Janis Joplin59%4 The Blues Brothers58%5 Fats Domino56%6 Bonnie Raitt50%7 Stevie Ray Vaughan48%8 Joe Cocker48%More items...
Who was the first blues guitarist?
THE FIRST COMMERCIALLY SUCCESSFUL male blues artist, Papa Charlie Jackson sang with a relaxed, confident voice and usually played an unusual six-string guitar-banjo. He began recording for Paramount in 1924 and produced nearly three dozen 78s by 1930.
Who is known as the Mother of the blues?
Rainey passed away from heart disease on December 22, 1939 at the age of 53. Tischler, Barbara L. "Rainey, Ma (26 April 1886–22 December 1939), vaudeville, blues, and jazz singer and self-proclaimed "Mother of the Blues"." American National Biography.
Who is the most famous blues performer?
popularity is the % of people who have a positive opinion of a blues music artist. Find out more1 Ray Charles73%2 B.B. King67%4 Janis Joplin59%4 The Blues Brothers58%5 Fats Domino56%6 Bonnie Raitt50%7 Stevie Ray Vaughan48%8 Joe Cocker48%More items...
What is the most important instrument of blues music?
No other major musical genre is as tied to one particular instrument as the blues is to the guitar.
Who is the father of blues?
William Christopher Handy (November 16, 1873 – March 28, 1958) was a composer and musician who referred to himself as the Father of the Blues. Handy was one of the most influential songwriters in the United States.
Where did the band Handy live?
In 1896, while performing at a barbecue in Henderson, Kentucky, Handy met Elizabeth Price.
Why was Harry Pace so famous?
His published musical works were groundbreaking because of his ethnicity. In 1912, he met Harry Pace at the Solvent Savings Bank in Memphis. Pace was the valedictorian of his graduating class at Atlanta University and a student of W. E. B. Du Bois. By the time of their meeting, Pace had already demonstrated a strong understanding of business. He earned his reputation by saving failing businesses. Handy liked him, and Pace later became the manager of Pace and Handy Sheet Music.
When was the book Blues written?
In 1926 Handy wrote Blues: An Anthology—Complete Words and Music of 53 Great Songs. It is an early attempt to record, analyze, and describe the blues as an integral part of the South and the history of the United States. To celebrate the publication of the book and to honor Handy, Small's Paradise in Harlem hosted a party, "Handy Night", on Tuesday October 5, which contained the best of jazz and blues selections provided by Adelaide Hall, Lottie Gee, Maude White, and Chic Collins.
When was Memphis Blues first played?
Handy's first popular success, "Memphis Blues", recorded by Victor Military Band, July 15, 1914 . Writing about the first time "Saint Louis Blues" was played, in 1914, Handy said, The one-step and other dances had been done to the tempo of Memphis Blues. ... When St Louis Blues was written the tango was in vogue.
Where did the Memphis Blues live?
In 1909 Handy and his band moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where they played in clubs on Beale Street. " The Memphis Blues " was a campaign song written for Edward Crump, a Democrat Memphis mayoral candidate in the 1909 election and political boss. The other candidates also employed Black musicians for their campaigns.
When did the black man play a steel guitar?
In 1903, while waiting for a train in Tutwiler, in the Mississippi Delta, Handy overheard a black man playing a steel guitar using a knife as a slide. About 1905, while playing a dance in Cleveland, Mississippi, Handy was given a note asking for "our native music".
Who is the father of the blues?
King became famous too. Today, Memphis is known as the Home of the Blues. For his efforts in making Blues famous, W.C. Handy is known as the “Father of the Blues.”
How did W.C. become famous?
He would never sell the rights to his music again. A few years later, he remembered his hard times in St. Louis and wrote the St. Louis Blues. It became an even bigger hit! W.C. became internationally famous. He recorded and produced more and more songs. This helped make Blues music popular around the world.
What was the name of the song that the mayor wrote for his election campaign?
He became so well known that the mayor asked him to write a song for his election campaign. W.C. wrote a song and titled it Mr. Crump, after the mayor’s name. The citizens of Memphis loved it and re-elected the mayor! W.C. changed the tune of Mr. Crump and renamed it the Memphis Blues. It became very popular.
Did W.C. break up with his band?
While in St. Louis the band ran out of money and broke up. This was one of the toughest times in W.C.’s life. He had little money and no job. However, he heard a new music that he really loved. It would be called the Blues music.
Who is the father of the blues?
Musician and composer William Christopher “W.C.” Handy was born on November 16, 1873, in Florence, Alabama. Widely known as the “Father of the Blues,” Handy is recognized as one of the leaders in popularizing blues music. Young Handy’s interest in music was discouraged by his family and his church.
What did Young Handy's father buy him?
Young Handy’s interest in music was discouraged by his family and his church. He once saved his money and purchased a guitar which his father, Charles Bernard Handy, a pastor, made him return in exchange for a dictionary. Handy joined a band as a teenager and purchased a cornet which he kept secret from his parents.
Who was the first blues artist?
In 1928, Handy became the first artist to perform the blues in New York City’s Carnegie Hall. One year later, his “St. Louis Blues” became the basis for a Hollywood film by the same name. Handy continued to write and publish music.
Who is the father of the blues?
Remembering the Father of the Blues. Today’s blog celebrates the career of W.C. Handy. Born in Florence, Alabama on November 16, 1873, William Christopher Handy became interested in music at an early age. His father, a minister, felt that music was an unwise career choice for him and, indeed, the young Handy experienced years ...
What was the first blues song?
In 1912 he published “Memphis Blues, ” now considered the first blues song.
How many people attended Handy's funeral?
When he died (on March 28, 1958), more than 20,000 people attended his funeral. Only a few months later, the film St. Louis Blues, starring Nat King Cole, paid tribute to Handy’s career. The NLS Music Section has some materials which can bring you into the world of this composer and his music.
When did Nat King Cole die?
By the 1940s, he was blind, but continued to publish collections of blues songs and spirituals. When he died (on March 28, 1958), more than 20,000 people attended his funeral. Only a few months later, the film St. Louis Blues, starring Nat King Cole, paid tribute to Handy’s career.
Overview
William Christopher Handy (November 16, 1873 – March 28, 1958) was an American composer and musician who referred to himself as the Father of the Blues. Handy was one of the most influential songwriters in the United States. One of many musicians who played the distinctively American blues music, Handy did not create the blues genre but was the first to publish music in the b…
Early life
Handy was born in Florence, Alabama, the son of Elizabeth Brewer and Charles Barnard Handy. His father was the pastor of a small church in Guntersville, a small town in northeast central Alabama. Handy wrote in his 1941 autobiography, Father of the Blues, that he was born in a log cabin built by his grandfather William Wise Handy, who became an African Methodist Episcopal minister …
Career
In September 1892, Handy travelled to Birmingham, Alabama, to take a teaching exam. He passed it easily and gained a teaching job at the Teachers Agriculture and Mechanical College (the current-day Alabama A&M University) in Normal, then an independent community near Huntsville. Learning that it paid poorly, he quit the position and found employment at a pipe works plant in nearby Besse…
Compositions
Handy's music does not always follow the classic 12-bar pattern, often having 8- or 16-bar bridges between 12-bar verses.
• "Memphis Blues", written 1909, published 1912. Although usually subtitled "Boss Crump", it is a distinct song from Handy's campaign satire, "Boss Crump don't 'low no easy riders around here", which was based on the good-time song "Mamma Don't Allow It."
Awards and honors
• Handy was the subject of Paramount's St. Louis Blues (1958), heavily fictionalized biographical film starring Nat King Cole with Eartha Kitt and Ruby Dee.
• W.C. Handy Place in Manhattan, New York City, is the honorary name for 52nd Street between Avenue of the Americas and Seventh Avenue.
• On May 17, 1969, the United States Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp in his honor.
Discography
• The Old Town Pump/Sweet Child Introducing Pallet on the Floor (Columbia #2417) (1917)
• A Bunch of Blues/Moonlight Blues (Columbia #2418) (1917)
• Livery Stable Blues/That Jazz Dance Everyone Is Crazy About (Columbia #2419) (1917)
Further reading
• Brooks, Tim (2004). Lost Sounds: Blacks and the Birth of the Recording Industry, 1890–1919. Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press. pp. 410–436. ISBN 978-0-252-07307-6.
• Dunkel, Mario (2015). "W. C. Handy, Abbe Niles, and (Auto)biographical Positioning in the Whiteman Era". Popular Music and Society. 38 (2): 122–139. doi:10.1080/03007766.2014.994320. S2CID 191480580.
External links
• W.C. Handy website at the University of North Alabama
• W.C. Handy's 1993 Lifework Award for Performing Achievement; Induction into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame
• The Blues Foundation's W.C. Handy Blues Awards