Harlem Walking Tour: W.C. Handy

The sixth episode of the Harlem Walking Tour Video Series features composer and musician W.C. Handy (1873-1958). The self-proclaimed “Father of the Blues” was an influential musician who is noted as the first composer to publish music in the Blues form.
The recipient of many honors, both in his lifetime and posthumously, the legacy of W.C. Handy’s contributions continues into the present day. He is an inductee in the Songwriters Hall of Fame (1970), Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame (1985), and the recipient of a Grammys Trustees Award for lifetime achievement (1993). In 2002 the United States Senate passed a resolution declaring 2003 as the “Year of the Blues” being that it was the centennial anniversary of W.C. Handy’s first encounter with blues music - the moment that led to him becoming the “Father of the Blues”.
Mezzo-Soprano Lucia Bradford performs Handy’s enduring classic “St. Louis Blues” with pianist Mikael Darmanie, Alphonso Horne on Trumpet, and Sean Murphy on Bass.
This project was conceived by husband and wife team, Terrance McKnight, WQXR and harpist-scholar Dr. Ashley Jackson.
Visit www.harlemchamberplayers.org to learn more about this project and other events.