W[illiam] C[hristopher] Handy (1873-1958)
Memphis Blues (1912)
St. Louis Blues (1914) (Bessie Smith)
Beale Street Blues (1916)
William Christopher Handy (November 16, 1873 - March 28, 1958) was a blues composer and musician, often known as the "Father of the Blues."
Handy remains among the most influential of American songwriters.
While Handy was not the first to publish music in the blues form, he took the blues from a not very well-known regional music style to one of the dominant forces in American popular music.
Handy was an educated musician who used folk material in his compositions. He was scrupulous in documenting the sources of his works, which frequently combined stylistic influences from several performers. He loved this folk musical form and brought his own transforming touch to it.
[8874 Schoenberg / 8873 Handy / 8873 Rachmaninoff]