W. C. Handy
1873 – 1958

W. C. Handy

American blues composer and musician (1873–1958)

music journalistautobiographernon-fiction writerjazz musiciantrumpeter
Born
1873-11-16, Florence
Died
1958-03-28
Birthplace state
Alabama

Biography

William Christopher Handy was an American composer and musician who referred to himself as the Father of the Blues. He 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 one of the first to publish music in the blues form, thereby taking the blues from a regional music style with a limited audience to a new level of popularity.

Occupation

W. C. Handy is recorded as a music journalist, a autobiographer, a non-fiction writer, a jazz musician, a trumpeter, a pianist, a songwriter, a musician and a composer, born in Alabama (1873–1958).

Connections to Alabama

W. C. Handy was born in Florence, Alabama in 1873. Explore other notable figures from Alabama, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.

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Jesse Owens
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Edward O. Wilson
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Frequently asked about W. C. Handy

Who was W. C. Handy?
W. C. Handy was American blues composer and musician (1873–1958), born in Alabama (1873 – 1958).
When and where was W. C. Handy born?
W. C. Handy was born on 1873-11-16 in Florence.
When did W. C. Handy die?
W. died on 1958-03-28.
What was W. C. Handy known for?
W. C. Handy is recorded as a music journalist, a autobiographer, a non-fiction writer, a jazz musician, a trumpeter, a pianist, a songwriter, a musician and a composer.
Source

Biographical content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia.

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