William Christopher Handy :: essays research papers

William Christopher HandyHandy was an American black composer and compiler of "BLUES" music. Hewas born in Florence, Alabama. He was educated at the Negro Agricultural andMechanical College near Huntsville, Alabama. He was the son of former slaves.He was educated in the public schools and by his father and paternal grandfather, some(prenominal) of whom were clergymen. Handy was the first to bring the African- Americanblues to the general publics attention with the publication of his MEMPHIS BLUESin 1912. He began his musical career as a cornet soloist and bandmaster withminstrel shows unrivalled of his earislst engagements was with the Worlds ColumbianExposition in Chicago in 1893.     Handy also founded a music publishing house and change and wrote some(prenominal)books , including the autobiographical Father of the Blues (1941). Originally,the blues were a type of black folk song little known beyond the southern unifyStates. Handys songs brought the blues to international attention.Handys career was rooted in popular music. He began his career in 1896 asa minstrel show and vaudville corntist and bandleader and then became one of thefirst publishers of music by black composers.     William Christopher Handy was born on Nov,16, 1873, in Florence, Ala,the son of former slaves . As a 15-year-old he left radix to work in a travelingminstrel show, but he soon returned when his money ran out. He attended TeachersAgreicultural & Mechanical College in Huntsville, Alabama, and worked as aschool teacher and bandmaster. In 1893, during an economic depression, he formeda quartet to perform at the Worlds Columbian Exposition in Chicago. For severalyears afterward he drifted around the country working at different jobs.Eventually he settled in Memphas, Tenn.     Although he lost his visual perception at age 30, after WW1 he conducted his ownorchestra from 1903 intill 1921. His eyesight partially re turned, but he becamecompletely blind after a fall from a subway platform in 1943.     Handy wrote music during the period of transition from ragtime to jazz.The music he had absorbed during his youth consisted of spirituals, work songs,