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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 201-225 of 298 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
OKeh S-71736 10-in. August 1923 Blue gum blues Sara Martin Female vocal solo, with piano songwriter  
OKeh S-72023 10-in. 11/8/1923 Tom Watson special Fiddlin' John Carson Fiddle (violin) solo, with male vocal solo composer  
OKeh S-72561 10-in. 5/23/1924 Chicago gouge Broadway Syncopators ; Billy Page Jazz/dance band composer  
OKeh W80324 10-in. 1/21/1927 New St. Louis blues Eddie Lang ; Boyd Senter Clarinet solo, with guitar and piano composer  
OKeh W80544 10-in. 3/16/1927 Beale Street blues Birmingham Society Serenaders ; Jack Linx Jazz/dance band composer  
OKeh W80987 10-in. 6/7/1927 Beale St. blues Eddie Lang ; Boyd Senter Clarinet solo, with guitar and piano composer  
OKeh W81820 10-in. 11/14/1927 St. Louis blues Al Bernard Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble composer, lyricist  
OKeh W81884 10-in. 11/27/1927 St. Louis blues Walter Beasley ; Sylvester Weaver Guitar duet composer  
OKeh W82095 10-in. 12/17/1927 St. Louis blues The Three Jacks Instrumental trio composer  
OKeh W400704 10-in. 5/23/1928 St. Louis blues Kalama Quartette Instrumental quartet (Hawaiian) composer  
OKeh W400999 10-in. 7/8/1928 St. Louis blues Charles Anderson Male vocal solo, with piano composer, lyricist  
OKeh W401061 10-in. 8/9/1928 St. Louis blues Emmett Miller Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
OKeh W402285 10-in. 3/12/1929 Careless love Gus Clark ; Theo Clark Fiddle (violin) and guitar duet composer  
OKeh W403495 10-in. 12/13/1929 St. Louis blues Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
OKeh W403874 10-in. 3/21/1930 St. Louis blues Seger Ellis Piano solo composer  
OKeh W490016 10-in. 12/13/1929 St. Louis blues Louis Armstrong Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick 5523 10-in. approximately May 1921 Memphis blues Al Bernard ; Carl Fenton’s Orchestra Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick 9812 10-in. approximately Feb. 1923 St. Louis blues Marion Harris ; Benny Krueger Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band and saxophone solo lyricist, composer  
Brunswick 4603-4605 10-in. approximately Nov. 1920 Beale Street blues Al Bernard Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist, composer  
Brunswick 4606-4608 10-in. approximately Nov. 1920 St. Louis blues Al Bernard Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Brunswick 9130-9132 10-in. approximately Nov. 1922 Aunt Hagar's children blues Isham Jones Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick 9791-9793 10-in. approximately Jan. 1923 Memphis blues Isham Jones Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick E27656 10-in. 6/6/1928 Long gone Richard Brooks ; Rueben Puckett Male vocal duet, with violin and guitar composer  
Brunswick E27771 10-in. 6/25/1928 Yellow Dog blues Duke Ellington Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick E28186 10-in. 9/10/1928 Aunt Hagar’s blues Dixie Syncopators ; King Oliver Jazz/dance band composer  
(Results 201-225 of 298 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Handy, W. C.," accessed April 25, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101964.

Handy, W. C.. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101964.

"Handy, W. C.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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