Who was WC Handy and what was he known as?
The African American songwriter William Christopher Handy (1873-1958), known as the father of the blues, was the first person to notate and publish blues songs. He wrote over 60 blues, spirituals, and popular tunes.
What was WC Handy birth name?
William Christopher Handy
W. C. Handy/Full name
Who did WC Handy influence?
Handy’s contributions in shaping what would be called the blues were influenced by the African American musical folk traditions that he experienced during his travels and performances.
Who was William C Handy and what did he do?
Alternative Title: William Christopher Handy. W.C. Handy, in full William Christopher Handy, (born November 16, 1873, Florence, Alabama, U.S.—died March 28, 1958, New York, New York), African American composer who changed the course of popular music by integrating the blues idiom into then-fashionable ragtime music.
When did W.C.Handy start his music company?
W.C. Handy started Handy Brothers Music Company and produced his next hit song, “St. Louis Blues.” Other successful songs followed, including “Yellow Dog Blues” in 1914 and “Beale Street Blues,” in 1916. In 1918, Handy moved his business to New York where he realized continued success when he wrote “Aunt Hagar’s Blues.”
What kind of books did W.C.Handy write?
After the publication of his autobiography, Handy published a book on African-American musicians, Unsung Americans Sung (1944). He wrote three other books: Blues: An Anthology: Complete Words and Music of 53 Great Songs, Book of Negro Spirituals, and Negro Authors and Composers of the United States. He lived on Strivers’ Row in Harlem.
What did W.C.Handy do as a teenager?
Handy joined a band as a teenager and purchased a cornet which he kept secret from his parents. Despite having little formal training, W.C. Handy was exceptionally bright. In 1892, he traveled to Birmingham to take a state teaching exam. He passed with ease and briefly became a schoolteacher.