BLACK IN TIME: A Moment In OUR History - W.C. Handy & The Blues (407 hits)
William C. Handy
William Christopher Handy Published "Memphis Blues" On September 27, 1912 And Gave The World Its First Uniquely Black American Music Form. The Song Was Originally Written For Edward H. Crump's Mayoral Campaign.
Known As The Father Of The Blues, Handy, Was A Trained Musician Who Made Blues "More Respectable" And Mainstream. The Music Had Traditionally Been Heard In Brothels, Saloons, Train Yards And The Back Streets Of The Mississippi Delta.
While He Did Not Invent Blues Music, He Was The First To Make It Contemporary, By Notating And Putting It To Sheet Music, Thus Making It Suitable For Publication. For That, He Remains One Of The Most Influential American Songwriters In History.
Handy Was Born November 16, 1873, In Florence, Alabama. He Died March 28, 1954.
W.C. HANDY - "FATHER OF THE BLUES"
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
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