W. C. Handy
Also known as W.C. Handy, W C Handy, WC Handy, Father of the Blues, William C. Handy, William Christopher Handy
American blues composer and musician (1873–1958)
Person · Open Library
- Born
- 1873
- Died
- 1958
- Works
- 9
Top works
- Louis Armstrong plays W.C. Handy
- Two rags for saxophone (soprano, alto, or tenor) or clarinet and piano
- W.C. Handy
- St. Louis blues
- Blues
via Open Library + Wikidata
Film & TV
Sound · Florence, Alabama, USA
Known for
- Bluesland: A Portrait in American Music — Self1993
- The Ed Sullivan Show — Self1948
- The Negro Soldier — Self (archive footage)1944
via TMDB
Music · MusicBrainz
- Type
- Person
- Gender
- Male
- Country
- United States
~25 min read
Article
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. He 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 one of the first to publish music in the blues form, thereby taking the blues from a regional music style (Delta blues) with a limited audience to a new level of popularity.
Handy used elements of folk music in his compositions. He was scrupulous in documenting the sources of his works, which frequently combined stylistic influences from various performers.
Connections
Categories
1873 births1958 deaths20th-century African-American musicians20th-century American jazz composersAfrican-American composersAfrican-American guitaristsAfrican-American history of Westchester County, New YorkAfrican-American male composersAfrican-American MethodistsAfrican-American pianistsAfrican-American songwritersAlabama A&M University faculty