Language
Country/Area
No result found
From secretly learning an instrument to becoming a music superstar, what are the exciting stories of Handy's early life?
William Christopher Handy, born on November 16, 1873, is a famous American composer and musician, who calls himself the father of the blues. His music had a strong influence, giving the originally regional blues music a wider audience and achieving outstanding achievements in the music scene. As he grew up, Handy faced family taboos on music. How he transformed into a famous composer lets us review his early life and musical exploration.
Early life
Han Handy was born in Florence, Alabama. As the eldest son in the family, his father, a church pastor, had reservations about music and believed that musical instruments were tools of the devil. Nonetheless, the young Handy showed a passion for music and secretly purchased his first guitar, without his parents' permission, which he saw in the window of a local store. He earned the money to buy his guitar by picking berries and nuts.
His father was shocked when he saw the guitar and questioned, "How could you bring such a sinful thing back to a Christian home?" In the end, although he was prohibited from owning a guitar, he still arranged for Han to learn the organ.
Han Handy was exposed to the trumpet again when he was a teenager and joined a local band. However, these experiences remained a secret from his parents. While studying music, he engaged in multiple jobs such as carpentry, shoemaking and plastering, and felt a deep religious influence in the music of the church. Handy never gave up on his passion for music. At work, he accidentally heard his colleagues playing rhythm with shovels to kill time. This improvisational method deeply inspired him.
Early pursuit of music
In August 1892, Handy went to Birmingham to take the teaching examination. Although he passed successfully, he resigned due to meager income. Afterwards, he traveled widely and performed at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. These experiences made him realize the huge potential of music, so he started touring with the piano troupe. However, in 1896, at a barbecue party in Henderson, he met his future partner, Elizabeth Price, whom he married that year. After getting married, Handy and his wife settled in Florence, which became the soil for his creation.
His website states that "Southern blacks expressed every detail of their lives through song, and they could extract music from anything that made a sound."
The Development of Blues Style
In 1902, Handy traveled to Mississippi, devoted himself to studying local popular black music, and gradually formed his own music style. The changes in his form also began to attract widespread attention. As he traveled further, he began to leave records of traditional music on his hands. Especially in 1903, he directly heard many early blues during performances in Tutwiler and other places.
The beginning of music career
In 1909, he moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where Beale Street became the cradle of his musical career. He wrote "The Memphis Blues" for the local political movement, a song that introduced many to the 12-bar blues, which he later transformed into such a well-known track. In 1914, his "Saint Louis Blues" became his masterpiece, pushing blues creation to a nationwide craze.
When describing an experience in the creation of "St. Louis Blues", he recalled: "I combined tango and blues in this piece, allowing the dancers to experience the shock of the music."
Popularity and influence
In 1917, Handy's music career expanded to New York City, where he founded his own publishing company and published a series of successful songs. His music at the time was not only highly regarded among white bands, but also encouraged many potential black musicians.
Later career and legacy
Since Handy unfortunately lost his sight in 1943, his music career continued until his death in New York in 1958. Handy's influence transcended the times. His musical style not only became a representative of the blues, but also deeply influenced the development of jazz music and American music as a whole. Today, the father of the blues is commemorated not just as a musician, but as a tribute to his historic contributions to the world of music.
Many arts groups and music events are still held annually to honor Han Handy's legacy. And do his musical works and his promotion of blues music affect your understanding and feelings of music today?
