Handy, in full William Christopher Handy, (born November 16, 1873, Florence, Alabama, U.S.—died March 28, 1958, New York, New York), American composer who changed the course of popular music by integrating the blues idiom into then-fashionable ragtime music. Among his best-known works is the classic “St. Louis Blues.”

Why is WC Handy known as the Father of the Blues?

During his life, Handy was called the “Father of the Blues” as a nod to the pioneering role he took in making the folksy blues of the American South accessible to a larger audience. The Amistad Research Center has two small collections of letters and sheet music produced by Handy later in his life. W.C.

How did WC Handy go blind?

In 1943, he lost his balance and fell from a subway station which caused him to go totally blind. In addition to composing, Handy worked laboriously at compiling blues tunes which he published in a book called Blues: An Anthology in 1926.

Who called himself the Father of the Blues?

“With all their differences, my forebears had one thing in common: if they had any musical talent, it remained buried.” So wrote William Christopher Handy in his autobiography in discussing the absence of music in his home life as a child.

Who was WC?

William LaShawn Calhoun Jr.



(born February 3, 1970), better known by his stage name WC (pronounced “dub-c”), is an American rapper and actor. He originally was a rapper in the group Low Profile and later formed his group WC and the Maad Circle, who first succeeded with the single “Ain’t A Damn Thang Changed”.

Who is considered the father of blues and why?

For his efforts in making Blues famous, W.C. Handy is known as the “Father of the Blues.”

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,

What is Handy’s full name?

William Christopher Handy

W. C. Handy
Birth name	William Christopher Handy
Also known as	Father of the Blues
Born	November 16, 1873 Florence, Alabama, United States
Origin	Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Who recorded the first vocal blues song?

“Memphis Blues” also became the first vocal blues recording in a treatment by Morton Harvey with accompaniment by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra (Victor), released in January 1915.

Who was known as the Father of the Blues quizlet?

W.C. Handy, known as “Father of the Blues,” published his “memphis Blues” in 1912, becoming the first song to include “blues” in the title.

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.

When did WC Handy discover blues?

Handy was waiting for a train here at the Tutwiler railway station circa 1903 when he heard a man playing slide guitar with a knife and singing “Goin’ where the Southern cross’ the Dog.” Handy later published an adaptation of this song as “Yellow Dog Blues,” and became known as the “Father of the Blues” after he based