W. C. Handy's birthday (16 Nov 1873)

Subject: W. C. Handy's birthday
From: The Shambles
Date: 15 Nov 06 - 04:22 PM

W(illiam) C(hristopher) Handy was born this day (16th November) in Alabama in 1873.

Subject: RE: W. C. Handy's birthday
From: GUEST,philistine
Date: 15 Nov 06 - 04:31 PM

Man goes to interview for job as handyman.

Interviewer asks him "Can you paint?". "No" he replies"
"Can you do plumbing ?" "No", he replies
"Can you do carpentry ?" "No" he replies
"Any good at gardening ?" "No", he replies

"So what's handy about you ?" asks the interviewer.

"Well, I live just round the corner" he replies.




I'll get me coat ....

Subject: RE: W. C. Handy's birthday (16 Nov 1873)
From: The Shambles
Date: 16 Nov 06 - 02:04 AM

'The father of the blues'.

http://www2.una.edu/library/handy/

Subject: RE: W. C. Handy's birthday (16 Nov 1873)
From: Scrump
Date: 16 Nov 06 - 10:47 AM

Also Elvis Costello's missus Diana Krall was born on 16 November.

Subject: RE: W. C. Handy's birthday (16 Nov 1873)
From: bobad
Date: 16 Nov 06 - 10:56 AM

She has accomplishments other than being Mr. Costello's missus, Scrump.

Subject: RE: W. C. Handy's birthday (16 Nov 1873)
From: Scrump
Date: 16 Nov 06 - 12:05 PM

Well I know that, bobad. Seen her several times live. I sort of assumed everyone would know that too.

Subject: RE: W. C. Handy's birthday (16 Nov 1873)
From: Azizi
Date: 16 Nov 06 - 07:57 PM

I'd have to google her name to find out who Diana Krall is {besides Elvis Costello's missus-and I don't know who Elvis Costello is either}

I'm just sayin...not that I'm proud of these facts or anything but it's a mighty big world out there which makes it likely that there's gonna be some celebrities from your neck of the woods that others who live in other necks of the woods won't know and vice versa.

Subject: RE: W. C. Handy's birthday (16 Nov 1873)
From: Azizi
Date: 16 Nov 06 - 07:58 PM

But W.C. Handy-him I know [of].

Subject: RE: W. C. Handy's birthday (16 Nov 1873)
From: Azizi
Date: 17 Nov 06 - 04:29 PM

and while the blues can claim many fathers, William Christopher Handy must certainly be considered among them. Born in Florence, Alabama, in 1873, W.C. Handy was by no means a Delta bluesman. He was a student of music as a child, playing the cornet, and later
from http://www.thebluehighway.com/tbh2.html :

"They call him the Father of the Blues . . .and while the blues can claim many fathers, William Christopher Handy must certainly be considered among them. Born in Florence, Alabama, in 1873, W.C. Handy was by no means a Delta bluesman. He was a student of music as a child, playing the cornet, and later traveled the South with dance bands playing minstrel and tent shows.

Handy had heard something akin to the blues as early as 1892, but it was while waiting for an overdue train in Tutwiler, Mississippi, in 1903 that he heard an itinerant bluesman playing slide guitar and singing about "goin' where the Southern cross the Dog," referring to the junction of the Southern and Yazoo & Mississippi Valley railroads farther south near Moorhead. Handy called it "the weirdest music I had ever heard."

W.C. Handy settled in Memphis, Tennessee, about 1909, using Beale Street's Pee Wee's Saloon as his headquarters. His greatest contributions to blues music were his compositions Memphis Blues, St. Louis Blues, Yellow Dog Blues, and Beale Street Blues. Handy died in New York City in 1958 and is today honored with the annual W.C. Handy Awards, The Blues Foundation's equivalent to the Grammy's.

The Delta blues sound that we know today originated with Charley Patton. Born in Edwards, Mississippi, sometime between 1881 and 1891, Patton lived and worked on Dockery's Plantation near Cleveland, Mississippi. It is there that he mentored such legends as Willie Brown, Tommy Johnson, Pops Staples, and Howlin' Wolf. And the greats Robert Johnson, Son House, and Bukka White, among many others, claimed Patton as their primary influence..."


-snip-

There's more info at that website about the early Blues.

Subject: RE: W. C. Handy's birthday (16 Nov 1873)
From: Azizi
Date: 17 Nov 06 - 04:52 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbEjiT0E-Bk&search=memphis%20beale%20blues%20music

Beale Street
15:19 minute Video of an 83 year old blues singer, Carl Drew, playing at BB Kings in Memphis.
Added March 09, 2006; From jackynjimy

Subject: RE: W. C. Handy's birthday (16 Nov 1873)
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 17 Nov 06 - 04:58 PM

When I was a kid I was into stamp collecting. I remember when a stamp was issued to honor W.C. Handy and thinking "what a cool name". I then spent some time finding out more about this man, and discovering a bit more about folk music. This was really before I became really interested in folk music, but I do remember that stamp lead to my first taste of the blues.   He really deserves greater recognition for his contributions to out culture.

Subject: RE: W. C. Handy's birthday (16 Nov 1873)
From: GUEST,Richie
Date: 17 Nov 06 - 10:17 PM

My grandfather (long passed) was a friend/acquaintence of his. I have an autographed copy of "St. Louis Blues" that Handy gave him.

My grandfather also started Frank Warner out collecting ballads when he showed him a lap dulcimer made by Nathan Hicks from Beech Mountain while he was in NYC.

He also knew Lunsford well and had Percy Grainger stay at his house for a while.

I cherish my copy of the St. Louis Blues.

Richie

Subject: RE: W. C. Handy's birthday (16 Nov 1873)
From: GUEST,thurg
Date: 17 Nov 06 - 10:56 PM

Read his autobiography - if I remember correctly it's called W.C. Handy: Father of the Blues. Fascinating musical and social history.