William Handy American composer, bluesman Date of Birth: 16.11.1873 Country: USA

Biography of W.C. Handy

W.C. Handy, an American composer and bluesman, was born on November 16, 1873, in Florence, Alabama. He came from a prosperous family, with his father and grandfather both being preachers. Handy received a good education, both general and musical. He began learning to play the cornet from a barber neighbor and later attended the Kentucky Musical College.

After completing his studies, W.C. Handy worked as a teacher and tried various professions in search of better earnings before pursuing a musical career. In 1893, he formed the Lauzetta Quartet, a string orchestra, with which he performed at the World's Fair in Chicago. At the age of 22, Handy started playing in the Bessemer Brass Band and became the leader of Mahara's Minstrels, a dance orchestra, within a year. The ensemble toured Cuba and the southern states of the USA.

Handy claimed to have discovered the blues in 1906, when he heard a man playing the guitar with a knife at a train station. He began transcribing blues melodies and incorporating them into his own concerts. Six years later, Handy published the sheet music for "Memphis Blues," which established him as the first composer to write blues. The composition possessed all the characteristic features of blues, but Handy did not realize its value, selling the rights to "Memphis Blues" for only $100.

In 1914, Handy wrote "St. Louis Blues," which quickly became very popular in America. He continued to compose iconic blues and jazz pieces such as "Yellow Dog Blues," "Beale Street Blues," and "Careless Love." In total, Handy wrote almost 150 compositions.

In 1917, Handy's Orchestra of Memphis recorded several records in New York, which did not feature blues melodies. In 1918, he co-founded Handy Brothers Music Co., a music publishing company specializing in African-American folk songs and arrangements. Handy published several anthologies of blues and spirituals, as well as conducting research in these areas. His most famous book, "Blues: An Anthology," was published in 1926.

In the 1920s, a true blues boom began, and W.C. Handy performed with various orchestras and assisted in the recordings of well-known jazz musicians such as Jelly Roll Morton and Red Allen. During this period, Handy started experiencing eye problems, which led to a decrease in his concert appearances and recording involvement. By the beginning of the 1940s, W.C. Handy, almost completely blind, had retired from musical activities.

By the end of his life, W.C. Handy had achieved great recognition. In 1938, a concert was held in his honor at Carnegie Hall, and in 1958, a film titled "St. Louis Blues" was released about his life. On March 28, 1958, William Christopher Handy passed away. A monument was erected in his honor in Memphis, and the most prestigious blues award is named the W.C. Handy Awards.