W C HANDY ... The Father of the Blues earned that title in 1912 by writing and publishing the first commercially successful blues song, “Memphis Blues. When we talk about where the blues came from we should never forget the influence of this great man. In 1914, he made his fame — and fortune — writing and publishing “The St. Louis Blues”, which, in the days before hit records, became a million-selling sheet music phenomenon. 

Born in Florence Alabama, later the hometown of Sam Phillips, William was the son of former slaves. His father was a preacher. An uncle, Whit Walker, was an ex-slave and a fiddler, one of the few jobs offering upward mobility on the plantation. 

There was lots of other music around Florence and William caught the bug early, learning cornet as a teenager and, by 19, was teaching music. With natural leadership ability he was soon leading and contracting bands. He toured with Mahara’s Minstrels and performed at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, where the ragtime craze started, and toured all the way to Cuba, learning the Latin rhythms used in the tango section of “St. Louis Blues.”

Download - W.C. Handy - St. Louis Blues (1914)

Download: - W.C. Handy - Memphis Blues (1912)

Who was W C Handy

Handy Park, Memphis

Father of the Blues: An Autobiography

Latest page update: 30th May 2026