(1873–1958), American blues musician; full name William Christopher Handy. He set up a music-publishing house in 1914, and his transcriptions of traditional blues helped establish the pattern of the modern twelve-bar blues.
Definition of Handy, W. C. in US English:
Handy, W. C.
proper nounˈhandē
(1873–1958), US composer and musician; full name William Christopher Handy ; known as the Father of the Blues. As a cornetist he led the Mahara Minstrels band 1896–1903. Many of his works, including “St. Louis Blues” and “Memphis Blues,” were multistrain jazz compositions that utilized elements of the blues.