W.C. Handy was born on this date in 1873. Handy was the first to write sheet music for the blues and for that reason is known as the Father of the Blues. Though associated with Memphis and Beale Street, Handy’s most famous song is St. Louis Blues (1914).
Click to hear Bessie Smith sing St. Louis Blues accompanied by Louis Armstrong — possibly the most influential recording in American music history (1925). (This is a RealPlayer file.)
NPR told the Handy and St. Louis Blues stories as part of the NPR 100. Click to hear the NPR report, which includes Handy’s own reminiscences and the complete Smith-Armstrong recording. (Also a RealPlayer file.)
W.C. Handy died in 1958.