Wc handy father of the blues book

Florence native william christopher handy a musician, composer, arranger and publisher who became known as the father of the blues grew up in a log cabin built by his grandfather, a former slave who served as a minister in the african methodist episcopal church. This book explores the roaring twenties wild and exuberant music. Florence, alabama native william christopher handy 18731958, was an internationally recognized composer of sacred and secular music including st. While handy was not the first to publish music in the blues form, he took the blues from a regional music style with a limited audience to one of the dominant national forces in american music. A few years later, in 1941, he published an autobiography, father of the blues. Handy 18731958 was a sensitive child who loved nature and music but not until he had won a reputation did his father, a preacher of stern calvinist faith, forgive him for following the devilish calling of black music and theatre. Handy was born on november 16, 1873, in florence, alabama. Handy is a superb storyteller who paints a vivid picture of life in the reconstruction south, and the world of the africanamerican entertainer during the minstrel show days and the birth of the jazz era. Handy william christopher handy is best known for st. Handy, african american composer who changed the course of popular music by integrating the blues idiom into thenfashionable ragtime music. One of many musicians who played the distinctively american blues music, handy did not create. Handythe father of the bluesdies with all their differences, my forebears had one thing in common. Handy the father of the blues, william christopher handy, was born in florence in 1873 in a simple cabin that today houses a large collection of his. He was the the first to codify blues music, translating it.

In addition to composing his own songs, handy collected blues tunes which he published in a book called blues, an anthology in 1926. Handy, known as the father of the blues, discussing his childhood as the son of religious parents, his early love for music, and his. Handy brothers music company wc handy father of the blues. The book also details his life as a blind musician and the founding of his nonprofit, the wc handy foundation. An african american, handy was one of the most influential songwriters in the united states. Handy and youll earn 50c in boomerang bucks loyalty dollars you must be a boomerang books account holder its free to sign up and there are great benefits. American andy razaf artist ascap audience band beale street became began bill billy broadway brother called chicago chorus church clarinet clarksdale colored composer concert copies cornet crowd crump dance dollars e. His biography, father of the blues was published in 1941. Often referred to as the father of the blues, william c.

Handy s interest in music began as a child and was almost stifled by his family and church. Handy s father of the blues 1941 is autobiographical, revealing handy as likeable, generous, and at times naively conservative. The original home of the blues musician, composer, and music publisher, william christopher handy was one of the most influential american songwriters. Handy became known as father of the blues and was the first to present that genre of music to the world in the form of sheet music. Handy right nods approval and chuckles as an eighthgrade pupil, donell callaway, wails blues on his trumpet in new york city in 1954. L s summer a biography of africanamerican bandleader and composer w. Complete words and music of 53 great songs m book of negro spirituals unsung americans sing. It all started with a boy that had to exchange his guitar for a dictionary. William christopher handy wc handy father of the blues. In father of the blues, handy presents his own story. Atlanta, where he played some careerenhancing concerts in the world war i era. 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. Louis blues, written in 1914, and other classicssuch as beale street blues, memphis blues, careless love, and yellow dog blues forever changed. Handy provides good insight into the history of the handy linage, and the development of not only mr.

Young handys interest in music was discouraged by his family and his church. Crump eyes father florence gave gene buck guitar hand harlem harry head hear heard heart hundred jazz jim europe jim turner. He attended public schools in alabama and after graduating, became a school teacher and then worked in iron mills throughout the south. In the late 1880s, handy organized a quartet in which he performed as the cornetist. Handy the musician, but also the development of early blues which were different than the blues many associate with the likes of muddy waters, howlin wolf, john lee hooker, etc. Handy 18731958 was a sensitive child who loved nature and music. Handy taught himself cornet and trumpet over the objections of his preacher father who believed that anything but a hymn was the devils music. Handy wrote an autobiography titled, father l of the blues wrote 4 other books blues. William christopher handy 18731958 was a composer and musician, known as the father of the blues. Louis blues was the first song that handy maintained the s to. Louis blues, which, in the days before hit records, became a millionselling sheet music phenomenon. Handy, once so famous as the father of the blues that he was memorialized with a bronze monument in memphis, is not nearly as well. Handy 1944 edited and autographed unsung americans sung book of songs wc handy.

William christopher handy november 16, 1873 march 28, 1958 was a composer and musician who referred to himself as the father of the blues. The festival is a celebration of the life and legacy of henderson resident and father of the blues, william christopher handy. Handy s autobiography, father of the blues, is an accurate assessment of his contribution to american music. Handy, the father of the blues, was born in florence in 1873 in a simple cabin that today houses a large collection of his personal papers, memorabilia and artifacts. Known as the father of the blues, william christopher handy w. Louis blues 19, which became the title of a film based on his life 1958, starring nat king cole. Wc handy was the father of the blues, at least thats what it said in his autobiography.

The album features the classics memphis blues and chantezlesbas, and ms. Crump eyes father florence gave gene buck guitar hand handy s harlem harry head hear heard heart hundred jazz jim europe jim turner joe. Handys pioneering vision lives on through alabamas annual w. American andy razaf artist ascap audience band became began bill billy broadway brother called chicago chorus church clarinet clarksdale colored composer concert copies cornet crowd crump dance dollars e. Algene works three days a week that the museum that celebrates the father of the blues, william christopher handy, the composer and musician who was born in 1873 in the tworoom log cabin that. It is probably more true to say he was a talented composer who became a great collector and populariser of the blues, who was also largely responsible for bringing this local folk music from the mississippi delta to national and world attention. In this book, he tells in detail how he came to compose his most famous pieces, including memphis blues, st. Handy himself stated that, far from inventing the blues, he merely wrote. Wc discusses his two movies, the 1930 version of st. Handy, often remembered as the father of the blues.

Handy named several blues for cities of significance in his life. Handys life from his beloved home town of florence, alabama to st. Katherine handy lewis intended this album as a surprise for her father w. He later published negro authors and composers of the united states 1935, and unsung americans sung 1944. Handy s blues memphis blues, beale street blues, st. Louis, where he was a penniless, fleainfested hobo in 1893. He introduced the blues genre to the world in 1912 through a series of highly successful, authentic, blues songs adapted to a style that western society could understand. Once, his father forced him to return his guitar and exchange it for a dictionary. Handy s life from his beloved home town of florence, alabama to st.

Handy foundation is an educational foundation honoring the the father of the blues, w. Louis blues and solvent bank blue diamonds in the rough polished and mounted mother from beale street to broadway trouble. The father of the blues earned that title in 1912 by writing and publishing the first commercially successful blues song, memphis blues. Widely known as the father of the blues, handy is recognized as one of the leaders in popularizing blues music. Having grown up with his style of music, she reproduces it better than anyone. Describing the incident in his autobiography, only slightly selfservingly entitled father of the blues, handy provided the first known account of the music we now call the blues. Handy, once so famous as the father of the blues that he was memorialized with a bronze monument in memphis, is not nearly as well known today to people who are not either music.

Handy s hill songbirds and school days wilberforce, wallace and wanderlust maharas minstrel men work is the measure of worth mississippi mud pee wees, pimps and politics memphis blues a bungled bargain st. Handy will be remembered this week in a series of special performances as a part of the new york festival of. William christopher handy november 16, 1873 march 28, 1958 was a composer and musician, known as the father of the blues. Remembering the father of the blues nls music notes. Handy 18731958 musician and composer william christopher w. Having experienced problems with his eyesight for years, handy was blind by the mid1940s due to a skull fracturethe.