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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 1-25 of 298 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-15065 10-in. 7/15/1914 The Memphis blues Victor Military Band Band composer  
Victor B-15244 10-in. 10/2/1914 The Memphis blues Morton Harvey Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Victor B-18495 10-in. 10/10/1916 'Joe Turner blues' medley Victor Military Band Band composer  
Victor B-20505 10-in. 8/13/1917 Beale Street blues Earl Fuller's Famous Jazz Band Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor B-22728 10-in. 3/6/1919 Hooking cow blues Frantzen's Society Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor B-23276 10-in. 9/25/1919 Yellow Dog blues Joseph C. Smith's Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor B-23282 10-in. 10/1/1919 Yellow Dog blues Joseph C. Smith's Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor B-25073 10-in. 5/3/1921 St. Louis blues Original Dixieland Jazz Band Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor B-25412 10-in. 5/25/1921 St. Louis blues Original Dixieland Jazz Band Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Victor B-26266 10-in. 3/22/1922 Memphis blues Ross Gorman ; Virginians Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor B-27446 10-in. 2/1/1923 Aunt Hagar's blues Ross Gorman ; Virginians Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor B-30326 10-in. 6/26/1924 Beale Street blues George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor BVE-35251 10-in. 3/29/1926 St. Louis blues Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor BVE-36773 10-in. 11/17/1926 St. Louis blues Fats Waller Pipe organ solo composer  
Victor BVE-37103 10-in. 12/6/1926 Memphis blues Johnny Marvin Male vocal solo, with guitar and ukulele composer  
Victor BVE-37359 10-in. 1/14/1927 Loveless love Fats Waller Pipe organ solo composer  
Victor BVE-37360 10-in. 1/14/1927 Harlem blues Fats Waller Pipe organ solo composer  
Victor BVE-37788 10-in. 2/16/1927 Ever after on Edna Winston Female vocal solo, with instrumental quintet composer  
Victor BVE-38046 10-in. 5/20/1927 Beale Street blues Alberta Hunter Female vocal solo, with pipe organ lyricist, composer  
Victor BVE-38047 10-in. 5/20/1927 Beale Street blues Fats Waller Pipe organ solo composer  
Victor BVE-38632 10-in. 6/6/1927 Long gone E. J. Derry ; Travis B. Hale Male vocal duet, with banjo and mandolin (self-accompaniment) composer  
Victor BVE-38661 10-in. 6/10/1927 Beale Street blues Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor BVE-41343 10-in. 12/7/1927 Memphis blues Ben Pollack Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor CVE-43191 12-in. 3/29/1928 St. Louis blues Waring's Concert Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Victor BVE-43429 10-in. 2/23/1928 St. Louis blues Leroy Smith Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
(Results 1-25 of 298 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Handy, W. C.," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101964.

Handy, W. C.. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101964.

"Handy, W. C.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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