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 51-75 of 298 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | BS-99321 | 10-in. | 2/24/1936 | Beale Street blues | Jesse Ashlock ; Bill Boyd ; Cowboy Ramblers | String band, with male vocal solo | lyricist, composer | |
| Victor | BS-101895 | 10-in. | 6/2/1936 | St. Louis blues | Marimba Pan-Americana | Marimba band | composer | |
| Victor | PBVE-310 | 10-in. | 5/13/1927 | St. Louis blues | Eddie Peabody | Banjo solo | composer | |
| Victor | BS-0510 | 10-in. | 9/9/1936 | St. Louis blues | Willie (Red) Newman | Harmonica solo, with guitar and string bass | composer | |
| Victor | CS-010345 | 12-in. | 5/26/1937 | Beale Street blues | Tommy Dorsey Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Victor | BS-013029 | 10-in. | 8/6/1937 | St. Louis blues | Swing Billies | String band | composer | |
| Victor | BS-014079 | 10-in. | 9/12/1937 | St. Louis blues | Marimba "Palma de Oro" | Marimba band | composer | |
| Victor | BS-014211 | 10-in. | 9/15/1937 | St. Louis blues | Vernon Geyer | Electric organ solo | composer | |
| Victor | BS-017702 | 10-in. | 12/10/1937 | St. Louis blues | Leo Reisman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Victor | BS-023752 | 10-in. | 6/29/1938 | St. Louis blues | Claude Thornhill Orchestra ; Maxine Sullivan | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | lyricist, composer | |
| Victor | BS-026681 | 10-in. | 8/30/1938 | The St. Louis blues | Bluebird Military Band | Instrumental ensemble | composer | |
| Victor | BS-037730 | 10-in. | 6/19/1939 | Beale Street blues | Wingy Manone Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
| Victor | BS-040957 | 10-in. | 10/12/1939 | Aunt Hagar's blues | Bob Chester Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Victor | BS-041456 | 10-in. | 9/14/1939 | Oh, didn't he ramble | Jelly Roll Morton ; New Orleans Jazzmen | Jazz/dance band, with talk | composer | |
| Victor | PBS-042225 | 10-in. | 11/8/1939 | St. Louis blues | Hall Johnson Choir | Mixed vocal chorus | composer | |
| Victor | BS-047055 | 10-in. | 2/13/1940 | Boogie woogie on St.Louis blues | Earl Hines Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Victor | BS-051226 | 10-in. | 6/4/1940 | Make me a pallet on the floor (Atlanta blues) | Sidney Bechet and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | PBS-055070 | 10-in. | 9/7/1940 | Chantez les bas | Artie Shaw Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Victor | BS-057650 | 10-in. | 11/18/1940 | St.Louis blues | Alvino Rey Orchestra ; Four King Sisters | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal quartet | composer | |
| Victor | BS-058248 | 10-in. | 12/10/1940 | Memphis blues | Dinah Shore | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Victor | BS-066125 | 10-in. | 6/23/1941 | Memphis blues | The Dixieland Jazz Group of NBC's Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street ; Henry Levine | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Victor | BS-066126 | 10-in. | 6/23/1941 | Joe Turner blues | The Dixieland Jazz Group of NBC's Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street ; Henry Levine | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Victor | BS-066127 | 10-in. | 6/23/1941 | St. Louis blues | The Dixieland Jazz Group of NBC's Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street ; Lena Horne ; Henry Levine | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | composer | |
| Victor | BS-066128 | 10-in. | 6/23/1941 | Careless love | The Dixieland Jazz Group of NBC's Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street ; Lena Horne ; Henry Levine | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | composer | |
| Victor | BS-066142 | 10-in. | 6/25/1941 | East St. Louis blues | Dixieland Jazz Group of NBC's Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street ; Henry Levine | Jazz/dance band | composer |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Handy, W. C.," accessed April 18, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101964.
Handy, W. C.. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 18, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101964.
"Handy, W. C.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 18 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
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