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 176-200 of 298 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OKeh | S-70190 | 10-in. | Sept. 1921 | Aunt Hagar's children blues | Brown and Terry Jazzola Boys | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| OKeh | S-70223 | 10-in. | 10/5/1921 | The Memphis blues | Esther Bigeou | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | composer | |
| OKeh | S-70224 | 10-in. | 10/5/1921 | The St. Louis blues | Esther Bigeou | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | composer, lyricist | |
| OKeh | S-71150 | 10-in. | January 1923 | Aunt Hagar's blues | Handy's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer, leader | |
| OKeh | S-71151 | 10-in. | January 1923 | Louisville blues | Handy's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
| OKeh | S-71249 | 10-in. | February 1923 | Yellow Dog blues | Lizzie Miles ; Ricketts' Stars | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | lyricist, composer | |
| OKeh | S-71349 | 10-in. | March 1923 | Panama | Handy's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
| OKeh | S-71350 | 10-in. | March 1923 | St. Louis blues | Handy's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer, leader | |
| OKeh | S-71372 | 10-in. | March 1923 | Down hearted blues | Handy's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
| OKeh | S-71373 | 10-in. | March 1923 | Mama's got the blues | Handy's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
| OKeh | S-71374 | 10-in. | March 1923 | Beale Street blues | Esther Bigeou | Female vocal solo, with piano | lyricist, composer | |
| OKeh | S-71375 | 10-in. | March 1923 | The hesitating blues | Esther Bigeou | Female vocal solo, with piano | lyricist, composer | |
| OKeh | S-71391 | 10-in. | April 1923 | Joe Turner blues | Sara Martin | Female vocal solo, with piano | composer | |
| OKeh | S-71431 | 10-in. | April 1923 | Come home papa blues | Handy's Orchestra ; Sara Martin | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | leader | |
| OKeh | S-71432 | 10-in. | April 1923 | It takes a long time to get 'em but you can lose 'em overnight | Handy's Orchestra ; Sara Martin | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | leader | |
| OKeh | S-71433 | 10-in. | April 1923 | Laughin' cryin' blues | Handy's Orchestra ; Sara Martin | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | leader | |
| OKeh | S-71468 | 10-in. | April 1923 | Sundown blues | Handy's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader, composer | |
| OKeh | S-71469 | 10-in. | April 1923 | My pillow and me | Handy's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
| OKeh | S-71574 | 10-in. | May 1923 | Gulf Coast blues | Handy's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
| OKeh | S-71575 | 10-in. | May 1923 | Farewell blues | Handy's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
| OKeh | S-71601 | 10-in. | June 1923 | Memphis blues | Handy's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader, composer | |
| OKeh | S-71602 | 10-in. | June 1923 | Florida blues | Handy's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
| OKeh | S-71712 | 10-in. | August 1923 | Atlanta blues | Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Sara Martin | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | composer | |
| OKeh | S-71720 | 10-in. | August 1923 | Ole Miss blues | Handy's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer, leader | |
| OKeh | S-71721 | 10-in. | August 1923 | Darktown reveille | Handy's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer, leader |
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
External Sources
Wikipedia: William Christopher Handy
Discogs: W. C. Handy
Allmusic: W. C. Handy
Grove: W. C. Handy
IMSLP: W. C. Handy
RILM: W. C. Handy
RISM: W. C. Handy
IMDb: W. C. Handy
Britannica: W. C. Handy
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Handy, W. C. (William Christopher), 1873-1958 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n50024270
Wikidata: William Christopher Handy - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q352967
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/66546785
MusicBrainz: William Christopher Handy - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/2e37d3ed-afc7-42ca-bbb4-d21c7135f548
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
Feedback
Send the Editors a message about this record.