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W. C. Handy

William Christopher Handy (November 16, 1873 – March 28, 1958) was an American composer and musician who referred to himself as the Father of the Blues. Handy was one of the most influential songwriters in the United States. One of many musicians who played the distinctively American blues music, Handy did not create the blues genre but was the first to publish music in the blues form, thereby taking the blues from a regional music style (Delta blues) with a limited audience to a new level of popularity.

Handy was an educated musician who used elements of folk music in his compositions. He was scrupulous in documenting the sources of his works, which frequently combined stylistic influences from various performers.

Birth and Death Data: Born November 16, 1873 (Florence), Died March 29, 1958 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1903 - 1949

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, lyricist, leader, songwriter

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 226-250 of 298 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Brunswick E29241 10-in. 2/11/1929 St. Louis blues Scrappy Lambert Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Brunswick E29579 10-in. 4/5/1929 Memphis blues The Original Memphis Five Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick E29580 10-in. 4/5/1929 Beale Street blues The Original Memphis Five Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick E29861 10-in. 5/17/1929 San Luis Los Castilians Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick E29947 10-in. 5/24/1929 St. Louis blues Jack Winn and his Dallas Dandies [Irving Mills' Hotsy Totsy Gang] Jazz/dance band, with vocal composer, lyricist  
Brunswick XE30927 12-in. 9/12/1929 Brunswick brevities program I, [part unknown] Brunswick Salon Orchestra ; Louis Katzman ; Dick Robertson Radio transcription disc : Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Brunswick E31028 10-in. 10/14/1929 San Luis blues Pilar Arcos ; Los Castilians Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick XE31972 12-in. 1/24/1930 Brunswick brevities [program and part unknown] Brunswick Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Brunswick E33355 10-in. 7/24/1930 St. Louis blues Jungle Band [Cab Calloway Orchestra] Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Brunswick E36035 10-in. 2/6/1931 Loveless love Seger Ellis Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Brunswick E36085 10-in. 2/17/1931 Loveless love Seger Ellis Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Brunswick E36122 10-in. 2/24/1931 Loveless love Noble Sissle Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Brunswick E36211 10-in. 3/3/1931 St. Louis blues Frank Ferera’s Trio 2 guitars and ukulele composer  
Brunswick E36474 10-in. 4/15/1931 Loveless love Chocolate Dandies [King Oliver Orchestra] Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio composer, lyricist  
Brunswick E36644 10-in. 4/21/1931 The basement blues (Low-downer than any low-down blues) Noble Sissle Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Brunswick E37269 10-in. 10/22/1931 Beale Street blues All Star Orchestra ; Eddie Lang ; Joe Venuti Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Brunswick E4220-E4221 10-in. 12/10/1926 St. Louis blues Lester McFarland Male vocal solo, with guitar composer, lyricist  
Brunswick E4939-E4940 10-in. 5/7/1927 The St. Louis blues Alex Jackson's Plantation Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick E6667-E6668 10-in. 10/14/1927 Aunt Hagar’s blues Dixie Syncopators ; King Oliver Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick E7174-E7175 10-in. 2/25/1928 Aunt Hagar’s blues Dixie Syncopators ; King Oliver Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick E18338-E18340 10-in. 3/10/1926 The St. Louis blues George Hamilton Green Xylophone solo, with piano composer  
Brunswick E18341-E18343 10-in. 3/10/1926 Yellow Dog blues George Hamilton Green Xylophone solo, with piano composer  
Brunswick E22629-E22631 10-in. 4/25/1927 St. Louis blues Al Bernard Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer, lyricist  
Brunswick E22632-E22634 10-in. 4/25/1927 Beale Street blues Al Bernard Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band lyricist, composer  
Brunswick E22870-E22872 10-in. 5/2/1927 Memphis blues Al Bernard ; Carl Fenton’s Orchestra Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer, lyricist  
(Results 226-250 of 298 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Handy, W. C.," accessed April 30, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101964.

Handy, W. C.. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 30, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101964.

"Handy, W. C.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 30 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101964

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