Biography of William Christopher Handy

Hello, my name is Kris and I’m a third year business student at the UofS. I love staying up to date with the latest music, but today I want to go back in time and talk about the “Father of the Blues”. Who is the Father of the Blues you ask? Well it was no other than William Christopher Handy an African-American influential figure in early pop music history. W.C. Handy was born November 16, 1873, in Florence, Alabama. W.C. Handy expressed his love for music as a child as one of his grandparents was a Methodist minister. His grandmother supported his musical interests however his father was opposed to his son being a musician and only offered to pay for organ lessons. W.C. Handy’s love for music grew and he started to play the cornet as well as partake in the school cappella group.

Handy studied at the Teachers Agricultural Mechanical College in Huntsville, Alabama in 1892. Handy found work as a school teacher, however, he continued to pursue a career as a musician. Handy formed a band called the Lauzette Quartet, in the hope of playing at the Chicago World’s Fair, however, the fair was postponed which lead to the bands split. Handy then moved to St. Louis where he was homeless and living in poverty. Handy continued to play his cornet at shows and eventually landed a show in Kentucky. Handy helped contribute to music that would be called the “blues” by being influenced by the African-American musical folk traditions that he heard while on his travels.

While in Kentucky he was hired as a musician in the city of Henderson. Handy married Elizabeth Virginia Prince after a performance in 1898. They had two children together, but sadly his wife died in 1937. During their marriage, Handy was offered to join W.A. Mahara’s Minstrels as the band-leader. He stayed with the group for a few years where he traveled the country and even Cuba. After many years of traveling, Elizabeth and Handy decided to stay in one place and live in Huntsville, Alabama where Handy worked as a music teacher. In 1902 Handy started traveling again and had a short stay in Mississippi where Handy joined the Black Knights of Pyhtias band and experienced the local variation of the blues. Handy then moved to Memphis, Tennesse and performed at the Beale Street clubs. In 1909 Handy wrote a campaign song called “Mr. Crump” named after the candidate Edward H. Crump who later won the election. The song was later edited and renamed the Memphis Blues. The song was published in 1912 and played it for large audiences. Memphis Blues became a hit song since it was considered the first blue song to be released in history.

Handy never received the financial success of after selling the rights to the song. Handy then decided to start his own publishing company with songwriter Harry Pace so that he could now have ownership for his songs. Handy released his next song St. Louis Blues which was published under the Pace and Handy Music Company. St Louis Blues became another hit song and was recorded many times. Handy is also known for composing many other hit songs. Handy wanted to escape the South and the racism contained in it so he moved his publishing company to New York. Handy kept promoting the blues to audiences and organized the first Blue’s performance in Carnegie Hall in 1928. Handy published Negro Authors and Composers of the United States in 1935 and in 1941 he published an autobiography called Father of the Blues. Handy then became blind by the mid 40’s. Handy died of pneumonia on March 28, 1958. More than 20,000 people attended his funeral and his life story was made into the film At. Louis Blues. Hand’s legacy continues on with the annual W.C. Handy Music Festival in Alabama.⁴

Challenges and Successes of W. C. Handy

Handy began to experience struggles when his wages were cut at the pipework’s company in Bessemer he worked at. He moved back to Birmingham and organized the Lauzette Quartet and planned to play at the Chicago World’s Fair, but another obstacle occurred and the fair had been postponed for a year. The band broke up and Handy faced true economic challenges as he was jobless and suffered from hunger and lice while he slept on the streets. Handy never gave up on his musical dream and continued playing his cornet to survive. He later noted that these homeless and depressing days lead to the birth of his song “St. Louis Blues.” Handy caught a break in Kentucky when he was playing with local brass bands and got hired by a Southern aristocracy. Handy went from a homeless band member to a professional musician in the time span of a day. Handy was a true American using capitalism to overcome the social challenges affecting one’s physical, intellectual, and emotional well-being. He utilized his new job’s benefits to attain a post-graduate course in vocal music while getting paid to do it. ³

Handy developed an impressive legacy for himself, but he had his fair share of obstacles to overcome ranging from racism and prejudice to health concerns from a head trauma that caused blindness and a stroke that caused him to require a wheelchair. Even with the obstacles, he faced in life he was able to achieve wealth and fame and is now known as the “Father of Blues”. ⁴

Famous Contributions from W. C. Handy

W. C. Handy had several popular hits in the music industry. I chose to discuss three songs ranging from the beginning of his professional career to closer to the end. The songs that helped form Handy’s legacy are “Memphis Blues”, “St. Louis Blues” and “Loveless Love”

“Memphis Blues” (originally “Mr. Crump,” 1909)

The “Memphis Blues” was an important moment in music history as it was a driving force of a new music genre called the blues. He originally got the idea from a sad negro playing the guitar on the street corner.¹ The song has a smooth riff and contained both 16 bar melodies and 12 bar sections while mixing two-four time and Afro-Cuban habanera dance rhythm. The song resulted in the creation of blues music and later influenced the creation of jazz music.

“St. Louis Blues” (1914)

The “St. Louis Blues” was Handy’s privately owned song that helped him rise to fame and riches. The song was the first blues song to make it into the popular music charts and was so revolutionary that it has been covered many times by well-known artists such as Nat King Cole, Bessie Smith and Louise Armstrong. The song was about the struggles of life and had a similar form to Memphis Blues, but with a much more dominant beat and a similar feel to classic ragtime compositions.²

“Loveless Love” (better known as “Careless Love”),  1921.

“Loveless Love” is a positive spinoff of the song “Careless Love”, which was about a tragic death and heartbreak due to love. The song has a slower beat with the lyrics involving a love story. I chose this song as it was one Handy did later in his career and it helped to show the diversity in beat and rhythm between Handy’s songs. The song was an influential piece and showed listeners how original and cover songs can be similar, but sound and be interpreted completely different.

Bibliography

1. Banerji, Robin. “WC Handy’s Memphis Blues: The Song of 1912.” BBC World Service. (2012): https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20769518
2. Chilton, Martyn. “St Louis Blues: story of the WC Handy classic song.” The Telegraph. (2015):  https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/jazz/st-louis-blues-by-wc-handy/
3. “Handy, W. C. 1873–1958.” Contemporary Black Biography. Encyclopedia.com. Accessed July 19, 2018. http://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/handy-w-c-1873-1958
4. “W.C. Handy Biography.” A&E Television Networks. Last modified October 27, 2015. https://www.biography.com/people/wc-handy-39700​

#M5Q4

On Sunday, July 15 I had the opportunity to watch Luke Bryan, a singer-songwriter country artist, perform on the main stage at the Craven Saskatchewan Country Thunder music festival.

It is my 5^th year attending Country Thunder, and my third opportunity to watch Luke Bryan. Born as Thomas Luther Bryan in 1Georgia 1976, he holds heavy values on family and God. TL Bryan’s talent came obvious to his family as they always encouraged his music career. Sadly at age 19 tragedy struck with the loss of his older brother, so he decided to give up the music and attend a business college near home. But years later in 2006, he moved to Nashville, only after his father told him to pack his truck to pursue a career in music.

His first step into the famed life was as a songwriter, then moving to the stage himself in 2007 with his debut album, I’ll Stay Me. Luke has now gone on to win 35 Major awards through channels such as the CMT, American Music Awards and many more with no sign of stopping in the near future.

Country Thunder Jamboree is definitely 100% country focused, right down to the venue (it is hosted in the middle of a field). The most popular attire is your muddiest pair of cowboy boots, your most cut of jeans and favourite plaid shirt. The best part about an open outdoor atmosphere such as this is that it really shows who wants to be there, who is willing to spend the money and time to see their favourites play. The weather isn’t always predictable and so you are forever running the risk that it could rain or be cold, but at Craven that doesn’t matter, especially when Luke Bryan is around. I was fortunate enough to be VIP all weekend, meaning that I was able to actually sit on the stage during his concert. Talk about a front row seat. I have never sung my heart out the way I did that night… me and every other person in that crowd. The positivity, love, and party could be smelt in the air and felt under your feet.

Luke Bryan’s songs are honest, easy-to-take in observations of life and love, with a charming personality and a nice bum for added jaw-dropping performances.

The sounds that this amazing artist puts out cover a wide range of harmonies, tempos, beats, and lyrical focuses. His songs fall under the country genre, with thick guitar backgrounds. Each song has a good background with lyrics that are easy to undertand, and memorable enough to stick in your head forever.

‘Drink A Beer’ is one of Luke’s more emotional and personal songs to me. It is a reflection of what losing a friend is like and how to deal with that specific pain. Every single sentence, the slow beat, and chilling guitar hit your heart like a brick wall. It is one of those songs that is so powerful that even if you haven’t lost anyone you know, and it also shows just how incredibly talented he is in his expression.

“So long my friend

Until we meet again

I’ll remember you

And all the times that we used to”

These are just a few of the impactful lyrincs in the above song.

Watching Luke Bryan perform is always an amazing experience and he never disappoints, but ‘Drink a Beer’ is one song that I could listen too over and over again. That being said watching him perform it on Sunday was absolutely incredible.

Other #1 number one hits played at Craven include.

Each of these songs was played like I was listening to my iPod. His professionalism, tune, pitch and dance moves were flawless his entire performance. Again just a few more things that really show why he has had the successes he has, and how he has managed to stay in the fame light so long. Even with the dozen other artists that performed Luke Bryan still takes the cake (and my heart).

Craven Country Thunder Jamboree was as always an amazing time for me. After all, there is no better way to hang out with your friends than listening to a good artist with a beer in your hand.

Bibliography:

1. The Biography of Luke Bryan: https://www.biography.com/people/luke-bryan

The “Payola” what?

By the mid 1950’s, the rise and advancement of technology was growing exponentially. This growth demanded a need for more disk jockeys, and by 1957 there was over 5000 DJ’s in the united states alone [1], growing almost 2000% in only 7 years. Music, as always, was one of the most popular sought after careers, living a life of fame and luxury. The desire for this lifestyle caused people to do whatever they can to be the most famous and to get their music out there. The main way people attempted to get their name out there was by paying disk jockeys on radio stations to deliberately play their music, and to play it often. This was known as “payola”, with “pay” meaning to give money, and “ola” stemming from the name for a gramophone called the Victrola.

1950's radio [2]

Even though payola was mostly a known thing, the scandal did not break out until a couple of incidents on popular game shows occurred, most popularly the show Twenty One [1], where some contestants were caught bribing hosts or other people to give them the answers. This may not seem related, but it only brought attention to the issue of bribery and the unfairness of it all.

The famous game show Twenty One

After these incidents on the game shows, the Payola scandal broke out, and the  Congressional Payola Investigations took over and decided to try and put an end to the bribery in the world of music [3].

Who got caught?

Many radio stations were put under the spotlight when the Congressional Payola Investigations took over, and even let go of a lot of the disk jockeys just to avoid any more disruptions. On the other side of that, many disk jockeys also publicly spoke out about the payola and their earnings. For example, Wesley Hopkins of KYW in Cleveland admitted to receiving over $12,000 in payment for playing certain songs in just the years of 1958-1959. That is a lot of money now to receive now for just playing songs, but it was worth even more in 1959 [4]. Stan Richard, another disk jockey, also admitted to receiving thousands of dollars as well.

Although many disk jockeys got in trouble, the main two culprits were Dick Clark and Alan Freed.

                                             Dick Clark hosting American Bandstand's in the 1950's [6]

Dick Clark was a popular, good looking TV host and later, disk jockey, that was one of the more famous of the time. He ended up going to trial, but not receiving any consequences for the most part [4]. It did, although, burn some bridges with potential clients or people to work with because he was put in such a bad light, even though many, many other disk jockeys were doing the same thing.

More severe, iconic disk jockey Alan Freed was punished for the wrongdoings with payola done by almost all disk jockeys in the country [1]. By the end of the trials, Freed ended up with 26 counts of commercial bribery, and was made to pay many fines [4], while all other disk jockey’s, including Dick Clark, walked away clean. Because of all these charges, Freed lost everything he had created: his radio show, his television show, and any professional relationships he may have had [3].

Alan Freed in the 1950's [5]

So… what happened?

Basically, Alan Freed ended up taking most of the fall for all the disk jockeys that participated in payola. The Congressional Payola Investigations resulted in the disk jockeys not being able to make any program decisions anymore for the radio shows. There would be directors and coordinators that would take over the set-list and would pick which songs would be played based on their popularity, not how much money they could provide.

It still exists today

The payola was a big deal at the time, but over the years has resurfaced dramatically. Record labels will pay people to go to radio stations and give the stations money, products, or other wanted items to play specific songs, making the listeners hear it more and for it to become popular. The songs that are played on the radio are not always what is new, or what is most popular, but the songs are from companies that can convince radio stations to play their music.

Other than radio stations, record labels can also pay other music providers, for example Spotify, one of the world’s most popular streaming services, to put their songs on pre-made playlists. Most listeners choose to trust in the streaming services to pick songs that sound good or are similar together on playlists so that they don’t have to. Companies can pay providers, such as Spotify, to put their songs on the most listened to playlists, so consumers will hear it more often, even if they are not aware.

[7]

Is it positive, or negative?

In my personal opinion, payola is not a good way to get good music out into the world. All payola does is provide listeners with songs that come from companies with the most money, not songs that may actually be beneficial for the listener. It also fools the consumer into thinking that they are listening to the “most popular songs right now”, but they are not. Most often they are listening to the songs that come from the most money. Our society nowadays wants what is easy, so instead of searching or finding new artists or new songs, they put on a pre-made playlist with songs put there on purpose by the streaming services. I think the music world would be a lot more diverse, and smaller artists would have more of a chance to make it big, if payola

[1]”Alan Freed, Dick Clark and the Radio Payola Scandal.” Performing Songwriter Ent., LLC. August 24, 2015. Accessed July 20, 2018. http://performingsongwriter.com/alan-freed-payola-scandal/.

[2]”1950.” Philco Radio Gallery. Accessed July 20, 2018. http://philcoradio.com/gallery2/1950a/.

[3]Kelly, Kim. “A Brief History of American Payola.” Noisey. February 14, 2016. Accessed July 20, 2018. https://noisey.vice.com/da/article/64y8y9/a-brief-history-of-american-payola.

#M3Q2

“Shuffle along”

The Blacks in blackface was indeed bizarre. How did making yourself appear darker help people be more accepting in a racial world? The black faces smeared on to darken their appearance was seen as black people mocking their own race and to white people it was tolerable. The “made-up” reality allowed them to look at black people as just actors wearing masks per say or a white actor dressing as a black person, rather than an ordinary African American. Although this phenomenon is strange a beautiful entity was formed. African American’s were no longer seen as a threat on stage as long as their faces were covered in smear. African Americans were no longer segregated to the balcony away from the orchestra seats where the whites sat. “Shuffle Along” reinforced the blackface in theatres and also challenged it. The blackface was reinforced by “Shuffle Along”due to the African American being ok with painting themselves in order to perform in front of Caucasians. A Misguided acceptance of blackface was portrayed through “Shuffle along”. “Shuffle Along”challenged blackface in such ways that the blackface on African Americans was redundant. Black sexuality was quite censored at that time usually making Caucasians uncomfortable or as some would say awkward. “Shuffle Along” challenged it as it made some black people uncomfortable to watch the sexuality of two African American people too. This express how African American’s were not used to seeing sexuality in that context challenging them to believe it was acceptable to express feelings. “Shuffle Along” challenged the rhythms in music due to jazz not being performed by African Americans. Although jazz is believed to be created by African American, white people did not look for it in African American neighbourhoods. “Shuffle along” was the first Jazz musical performed by black people challenging the Caucasians to accept the non-typical performance. Blake captured a more diluted jazz sound allowing Caucasians to grasp the potential of the sound.

• Which song remains the most well-known from Shuffle Along? Had you heard this song before?

The most well-known song from “Shuffle Along” is “I’m just Wild about Harry” still has people humming it today. Although I hadn’t heard it before this class I can see why it was so catchy for people. The Upbeat rhythm creates a happy and exciting atmosphere.

• Explain what «patting Juba» meant, and who was Juba (the second Juba). Why is this story included, and how does it tie to our main story?

The Patting Juba is an African American dance Often done by using your body as a human drum, patting your chest, knees and feet. This dance is extremely tough. The second juba came alive when diamond had unforeseen circumstances in life and left him to flee. Diamond was a young Caucasian who was the 2^nd best juba dancer that danced blackface. Diamond respected the African American dance and performed it that way. Due to Diamonds circumstances his place was filled with a younger more talented juba dancer. Although problems arose due to him being African American. Circus’s did not agree with “black” dancers. Barnum knew he needed Juba so he painted his face black and dressed him like diamond. Although it is unsure of Juba’s actual name, he was one of the most successful dancers of all time. I believe this story was included to show the significant of how our world evolves. Juba inspired two nations to come together to create the dance of tap. Just like shuffle along inspired the music of jazz. In both occurrences critics also see the evolution in history where African Americans begin to be accepted into the world.

Which claims about the historical significance of Shuffle Along are not exactly true? Who or what should actually claim this title?

The claim that shuffle along was the first black Broadway performance although it may have been the first successful black Broadway show it was not the first. Bandanna land was created in 1908 staring Bert Williams, George Walker, Ada Overton Walker, and J. Leubrie Hill. [1]This performance ended George Walkers career due to illness.[2]

• Explain the concept of the 2016 show and how it celebrated Shuffle Along. How does it approach the material?

“I thought it would be fun to go back to a time and a place where people didn‘t have the armor they needed to be human beings.”[3]

This quote stood out to me on this article. It really shows how mistreated African Americans were in the Music industry and in everyday life. [4]The 2016 musical was stated “the making of the music sensation of 1921”. [5]The production was away to honour “Shuffle Along” and the people who endured more than one person handles in a life time. The production was a way to say thank you for opening our eyes to a better world. The production used the original songs written by Blake to create a real-life experience of that era.

a snip it of what it looked like in 2016

• What new information came to light for you when reading this article, and does it change your perspective on the conditions and challenges faced by early African American performers?

I don’t think the article changed my mind on the conditions and challenges faced by early African American performers as I read many books about slavery and the upbringing of African American. Many were not about music specifically but because they endured so much I could only assume music presented similar situations. African American used music as an escape from the bad but were not allowed to preform openly creating yet another burden.

• Look back to the section entitled ‘Minstrelsy and American Popular Music’ in your textbook (page 28), specifically the paragraph that begins “Minstrelsy would give blacks…” – in light of the article, do you feel this paragraph (or the textbook in general) offers a fair perspective on blackface in America? Why or why not?

No, I do not it simply portray it as the embracing their stereotype. Although to the white it was exactly what they were doing. But for the African American people it was simply something that had to be done in order to perform. The text book also does not go in to dept on what the blackface is where as the article really tries to embrace the good of the African Americans enduring their strengths to overcome racism.

[1] Bert, Walker, George, Ada Overton, and J. Leubrie Hill. “Bandanna Land.” Hillie John Franz collection: Veterans History Project (Library of Congress. February 03, 1908. Accessed July 20, 2018. http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.music.tda.4021/default.html.

[2] Bert, Walker, George, Ada Overton, and J. Leubrie Hill. “Bandanna Land.” Hillie John Franz collection: Veterans History Project (Library of Congress. February 03, 1908. Accessed July 20, 2018. http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.music.tda.4021/default.html.

[3] Viagas, Robert. “Shuffle Along Plays Final Broadway Performance Today.” Playbill. July 24, 2016. Accessed July 20, 2018. http://www.playbill.com/article/shuffle-along-plays-final-broadway-performance-today.

[4] Viagas, Robert. “Shuffle Along Plays Final Broadway Performance Today.” Playbill. July 24, 2016. Accessed July 20, 2018. http://www.playbill.com/article/shuffle-along-plays-final-broadway-performance-today.

[5] Viagas, Robert. “Shuffle Along Plays Final Broadway Performance Today.” Playbill. July 24, 2016. Accessed July 20, 2018. http://www.playbill.com/article/shuffle-along-plays-final-broadway-performance-today.

In the 1950s America was introduced to the new musical concept of rock ‘n’ roll, along with this came many changes in society and introduced African Americans into a previously all-white music industry. During this time, young American teenagers rebeled their parents and grandparent’s thoughts of morality by listening and enjoying this new genre. Due to the introduction of race equality in the in industry, elder’s around the country believed rock ‘n’ roll to be “corroding society’s morals”, and the young susceptible minds of America’s youth. As a result of this, payolas became more prominent than ever. With the major record labels need to control who was being heard, it became very hard for African American musicians to get radio time.

Payola, a catchy word made up of a hyper-literal contraction of “pay and “Victrola” was however around long before the 50’s. The concept of being an accepted open-secret in American pop culture since the early 1900’s back when silent movies were all the rage. Only decades later in the 1950s became scandalous. As labels and distributors became obsessed with having their music on the Billboards and controlling who was on the hits, disk jockeys becoming all the more susceptible to lining their pockets with as much money as they possibly could. With the Jockeys susceptibility to bribes and the labels continuous need to put their artists on the Billboard, the payola concept gained a tight and strong grip on the music industry. As disk jockeys became aware of the rise in their status, most began to establish a flat rate for deals with record distributors and labels. While the jocks who were more influential were able to command large percentages of grosses, concerts, luxurious trips, free records and other swag. While the growth of influence that payolas had escalated, Billboard and Variety created long features asking for government intervention and reform and stop the corruption in their industry. Many jockeys however, did not believe in accepting bribes or playing white covers of African American songs. Some famous jockeys such as Alan Freed, Dick Clark and Lester Bangs rejected these payolas and refused to accept white cover songs from the major labels.

In 1958, the government decided to get involved in attempting to control the scandals after American most famous TV show Twenty One was also found to be fixed. Being threatened with the loss of their licenses, many radio stations began to take precautions and firing disc jockeys who could potentially put them at risk. This resulted in 335 disc jockeys admitting to receiving over 200 thousand dollars in “consulting fees” in front of the U.S House Oversight Committee in November 1959. Prior to this hearing Phil Lind (jockey) had confessed receiving 22 thousand dollars for a single record. With the help of these claims, the government was given valid grounds to forcibly remove the payolas strangling grip over the radio industry. During this time, President Eisenhower stood up and called payolas an “issue of public morality” and proposed “a new law, making involvement in Payola a criminal act”. As the government continued to investigate, they found more jocks that were willing to come forward and expose various record companies. This includes jockey Wesley Hopkins and Stan Richards who received thousands but claimed it had no effects on their choice of records. Many jockeys attempted to liken payola, but after President Eisenhower’s comment on the corruption that it has brought and the betrayal of public trust.

As this trial began, two of the most influential disc jockeys in America were brought to stand in front of the Committee. Alan Freed taking the fall for DJs everywhere in America. It is believed that Freed was being singled out for his abrasiveness and consorting with African American musicians. At the end of his trial, Freed’s friends in the industry had deserted him, and he received a penalty of fines and a suspended jail sentence of five years. While Clark was seen as a nice guy, used his persona to his advantage wisely riding himself of any incriminating connections before his trial. Receiving a small slap on the wrist from the Committee chairman and quoting years later that the most important thing he had learned from his trial was: “Protect your ass at all times”. Since then payola or “under-the-table payments” have subsequently become a misdemeanour, with the penalty being fines of up to 10 thousand dollars and one year in prison, unless of course it is disclosed.

Since then, a more sophisticated version of payolas has been created and exists to this day, everywhere you hear a song being played or “overplayed” is a radio station that has been paid in some manner or fashion through an unconventional form of payola. Today, major labels have created a “loophole” involving independent promoters that are more commonly known as “indies”. These indies are promised large sums of money in return for promoting records, songs, and artists to radio stations by offering them large “promotional payments”. Each time the radio station plays the song that the labels have requested, the indie gets paid and so does the station. Somehow, since the payment comes from the promoter (the indie) it renders the act still immoral, but now legal.

In my personal opinion payolas have and will continue to harm the music industry. Its negative effect on small labels and artists is continuous and inhibits them from being successful. In a market without payolas and loopholes, all talented musicians would be given a fair chance to show their talent, flourish and reach a broader market, ultimately gaining success.

Bibliography

http://performingsongwriter.com/alan-freed-payola-scandal/

https://noisey.vice.com/da/article/64y8y9/a-brief-history-of-american-payola

https://djbooth.net/features/2018-03-28-sonny-digital-payola-comments

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-payola-scandal-heats-up

https://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=https://www.forbes.com/sites/nickmessitte/2014/11/30/how-payola-laws-keep-independent-artists-off-mainstream-radio/&refURL=&referrer=

All great musicians are influenced by those that come before them. As music evolves, artists continually take pieces from different musicians, their style, form, presence, to create their own identity. No one has been more inspiring and influential in the history of music than Elvis Presley. American born in 1935, Elvis Presley grew up in Mississippi and began performing music when he was only 11 years old.(1) There were many genres of music that inspired him but  gospel, country and the blues were instrumental in creating his unique rockabilly sound.(1) He began recording music in 1953 with Sun Records and hit mainstream when he performed on air for RCA in Nashville in 1956.(1) His resulting career lead to more than 149 Billboard Top 100 Hits and one billion plus songs having been sold.

Not only did Elvis’ music influence people, but his visual influence is evident in the many artists that were inspired by his style, rebellious nature and on stage demeanor. His ability to command the stage with new and innovative costumes, moves and his performance of this new rock and roll music were major contributors to performance artists inside the music industry. His sexually explicit onstage moves were very liberal for the time. This lead to criticism from older generations but those in the younger generation fell in love with his seductive, raunchy performance style. They admired the risks he took and recognized that a new genre, rock and roll, was taking the world by storm. No one in the entertainment industry at that time had the same effect on their audience as Elvis did. (3) As a result, his confident, rebellious style influenced countless artists and perhaps none more so than the great Bob Dylan who idolized Elvis.

Bob Dylan was born Robert Allen Zimmerman in Minnesota during 1941.(4) He began recording and producing his first self titled album in 1962. Dylan had a breakthrough with the release of The FreeWheelin’  Bob Dylan which was heavily comprised of folk songs. He began touring and by 1964 was playing at 200 concerts annually.(4) His style continued to evolve and change over the next thirty years but none of this would have been possible without the influence of Elvis.  

Elvis’ style was admired by the young Dylan who felt liberated through Elvis’s music and his ability to move the audience. It allowed him to break free and create his own sound. He believed he no longer had to be confined to certain musical restrictions or what was acceptable at the time. Dylan’s musical style did not necessarily emulate Elvis, who was not known for writing his own music or lyrics,  but Dylan clearly appreciated the influence Elvis had in presenting his music to a vast audience in a confident and unapologetic way. (8)

Dylan would never become a stage performer like Elvis but clearly Elvis’ music and  style lead Dylan to create the music and lyrics he has become so well known for over the last fifty years. Dylan has a unique ability to combine meaningful lyrics without being overshadowed by the music.(8) His controversial and provocative lyrics would influence not only his generation but those that would follow. He created new  possibilities for artists by focusing on the importance of not only how music was being played but what was being said and how it made people feel. His quiet confidence encouraged others to take risks not only with their music but with the meaning of their music. This is evident in the music of Common.

Rapper Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr.  or Common was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1972.(5) His first group, C.D.R, a trio that performed rap music, found early success opening for Big Daddy Kane and N.W.A.(6) As he began to gain popularity, he released an album under the name Common Sense. His first massive album,  Resurrection, produced by No I.D., received significant positive feedback from both underground and alternative hip hop fans alike.(6) Common is a rapper known for commenting in his lyrics on a wide variety of controversial topics, such as the process for creating music, street life, and competition in the music industry. These real world topics discussed in his music allowed Common to become more than just a rapper, he evolved into a brand.(6) His massive success in the music industry lead him to write children’s books, become involved in fashion and design, and start his own charity. He used his fame and success as a platform for commitment to social change and bettering the world around him. Like Bob Dylan, who created music that expressed his innermost thoughts and feelings, Common used rap as a way to spread his thoughts and feelings to the greater population.

Common played a huge role in influencing the biggest modern day rap artist and producer, Kanye West. Also born in Chicago around the same time as Common, 1977, Kanye hit mainstream music with the release of The College Dropout.(7) Released in 2004, it was extremely successful and resulted in the creation of GOOD music, his own record label.(7)  Kanye went on to release a few more albums that had massive commercial success. Kanye is infamous not only for his contributions to music and music production, but his influence over fashion, his political views and his divisive personality. Young people love him but older generations aren’t sure what to make of him, just like Elvis. He has worked with Nike, Louis Vuitton and Adidas designing clothing.(7) This commercial success in not only in music ,but also the fashion industry allowed Kanye to become a brand, much like Common who mentored and assisted Kanye. 

Artists often depend on those who came before them not only for encouraging and influencing their unique sound, but helping to uncover the personal ‘brand’ every musician hopes to develop. What these four artists seem to have in common is their way of presenting their true selves. They create music meaningful to them and to their audience but most of all they are prepared to make the music that they want to make and say the words they want to say. They all have ways of igniting controversy. They challenged the common perceptions of their time with their behavior, lyrics and music. They wanted to give their fans and the people of their time music that was relevant, meaningful and something they could relate to. These four artists may not visually appear the same on stage but their common goal was to present music that mattered to people, that made people think and they were, or are, prepared to challenge the norms of their generation.

Bibliography:
1 “Elvis Presley.” Biography.com. June 20, 2018. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/elvis-presley-9446466.

2 “Elvis Presley Fast Facts.” CNN. May 13, 2017. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.cnn.com/2013/08/30/us/elvis-presley-fast-facts/index.html.

3 The Elvisualization. Accessed July 19, 2018. http://static.echonest.com/insights/elvis/elvisualization.html.

4 “Bob Dylan.” Biography.com. April 16, 2018. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/bob-dylan-9283052.

5“Common.” Biography.com. May 31, 2017. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/common.

6 “Common.” “Common.” Gale Library of Daily Life: Slavery in America. 2018. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/common.

7 “Kanye West.” Biography.com. June 13, 2018. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/kanye-west-362922.

8 Campbell, Michael. Popular Music in America: The Beat Goes on. Boston, MA: Cengage, 2019.

Photo Links

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Hi everyone! My name is Kailey, and I am a second-year business student. My first blog post is about an African-American composer by the name of William Christopher Handy. I hope you enjoy!

Background, Contributions, and Challenges 

William Christopher Handy, also known as “W.C. Handy”, was one of the most influential composers to exist in the late 19th and early 20th century. Born on November 16th, 1973, Handy grew up in Florence, Alabama with his two minister parents.[1] He fell in love with music at a very young age, which he then pursued as a career for the rest of his life. Handy has played a big part in shaping blues music into what it has become today. As Handy once said, “Setting my mind on a musical instrument was like falling in love. All the world seemed bright and changed”.[2]

William Christopher Handy, playing the trumpet in the early 1900s.[3]

Growing up, Handy faced many hardships when beginning his musical journey. Although he had immense support from his maternal grandmother, his father held different views. With a strictly narrow mindset towards musicianship, Handy was only given the option to attend organ lessons, which his father agreed to pay for. [4] Soon enough, he branched out into other instruments. This included the cornet, which is a trumpet-like instrument that evolved during the early 1800s. [5] He also began to sing acapella. After attending post-secondary school in Alabama for quite some time, in 1892, he obtained his degree at the Teachers Agricultural and Mechanical College. He continued to chase his dream of becoming a musician after, even though he became a schoolteacher in the meantime.

Handy was heavily persuaded by the African-American musical folk traditions he had grown up around and experienced throughout his life. His first band was called Lauzette Quartet. Eventually, after they split, Handy had to go through some of the hardest times he had ever faced. This included becoming homeless and living in extremely harsh conditions. However, he continued to play music at any show he could, which eventually led him to become a hired musician in Henderson. His career took off in 1896 after he became a bandleader for W.A Mahara’s Minstrels. After touring for various years, he eventually decided to work as a music teacher instead, where he could start a life with his wife, Elizabeth Virginia Price.

In later years, Handy created the band Black Knights of Pythias and performed at Beale Street clubs regularly. His first hit, “Memphis Blues”, was released in 1912.[6] In order to protect the ownership of his music, Handy created the Handy Brothers Music Company (previously called the Pace & Handy Music Company) which is “the oldest family-owned and operated music publishing company”. [7] Many more popular blues songs, such a “Beale Street Blues” and “Aunt Hagar’s Blues” were soon created. His contributions also including editing and publishing various books throughout his career, including an autobiography. On March 28th, 1958, William Christopher Handy passed away due to pneumonia. [8] To this day, he is known as “The Father of Blues” by many, and his songs are still widely popular across the world.

Analyzing the Music

The first song I have chosen to analyze is Handy’s first hit, “Memphis Blues” (formerly named “Mr.Crump”). [9]Claimed to be a campaign song for mayoral candidate Edward Crump in Tennessee, this song was released as an instrumental piece. The song features a fast and cheery beat of what appears to be the sound of a trumpet (or cornet), trombone, clarinet, and flute (which is creating the melody). A tuba seems to be creating a bass line for the song. The song reminds me of fun circus or carnival music, which may contribute to why it became so well-liked.

Secondly, I have chosen to view “Yellow Dog Blues”, which was released in 1914.[10] This song has a classic blues music vibe, along with a hint of jazz. The overall melody of this song is fairly intricate, with low and high pitches ranging throughout the song. The song features what seems to be the sound of a trumpet (or cornet, once again), trombone, clarinet, and flute. To this day, there are many different renditions of this song. When I listen to this song, I picture a black and white movie soundtrack from the 1900s.

Lastly, I have chosen “Aunt Hagar’s Blues”, one of Handy’s most popular classics, to review.[11] This song truly shows how incredible Handy was as a composer, and how experienced he must have been in order to create such a phenomenal piece. The tempo is extremely fast. A flute, clarinet, trumpet, and tuba can be heard in the song. “Aunt Hagar’s Blues” became a wide-known success in the world of jazz music. To this day, it is often still played by many jazz musicians.

Citations

[1]. W.C. Handy. (2015, October 27). Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/people/wc-handy-39700

[2]. ParallelSound. (2018). Retrieved from http://www.parallelsoundstudio.com/instruments

[3]. W.C. Handy: Father of the Blues. (2018, April 15). Retrieved from http://kentakepage.com/w-c-handy-father-of-the-blues/

[4]. W.C. Handy. (2015, October 27). Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/people/wc-handy-39700

[5]. Britannica, T. E. (2007, September 24). Cornet. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/art/cornet

[6]. W.C. Handy. (2015, October 27). Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/people/wc-handy-39700

[7]. Home. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.handybrothers.com/handy-brothers-music-company/

[8]. Looking Black On Today In 1873, WC Handy Know As The. (2015, December 22). Retrieved from https://blackthen.com/looking-black-on-today-in-1873-wc-handy-know-as-the-father-of-the-blues-was-born/

[9]. M. (2010, March 24). W.C. Handy – Memphis Blues. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGqBmlZR3dc

[10]. R. (2010, March 28). Handy’s Memphis Blues Band Yellow Dog Blues (1922). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CtWH5mQd7I

[11]. B. (2011, May 25). W.C. Handy’s Orchestra – Aunt Hagar’s Blues (1923). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddyIAJOmCzw

Introduction

After attending the Harry Styles concert in Vancouver, British Columbia on July 6^th, I decided it would be the perfect concert to review for this class. Harry Styles is one of the most well-known singer/songwriters in the world today, and I was very grateful to have had the chance to witness his talent up close and personal.

This is a picture I took of Harry singing “Sign of the Times” at the concert.

Background

Harry Edward Styles was born on February 1^st, 1994, in the town of Bromsgrove, England. Ever since he was young, he had a strong passion for music. During his time at Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School in Chesire, Harry became the lead singer of a band small band called White Eskimo. In his spare time, he also worked at a bakery. At age 16, Harry auditioned for the television show, The X Factor. The program features hundreds of singers competing to win a record label. After being eliminated after a few rounds, he thought his career was over. However, Simon Cowell (fellow judge on The X Factor) came up with the brilliant idea of forming a boy band, which included Harry and four other boys. The band became widely known as “One Direction”, and after making it to third place in the competition, they were soon signed by Simon Cowell’s music label. [1] From 2011 to 2015, One Direction released 5 studio albums and went on 4 world tours, becoming one of the biggest boy bands to exist worldwide. After an immense amount of success, the band decided to split at the end of 2015 to focus on their solo careers. On May 12^th, 2017, Harry released his first self-titled solo album. The album portrayed an alternative rock/pop vibe and took off very quickly. Harry holds the record for “best-selling first week by a British male artist’s debut album on the Billboard 200”, as he sold 230, 000 copies within the release week.[2] His solo tour began on September 19^th, 2017, and ended on July 14^th, 2018.

Sign of the Times [3]

Harry’s first released single was named “Sign of the Times”. It can be described as a soft pop/rock ballad. The song starts off with slow piano melody in the intro. The pitches throughout the song tend to repeat, while the lyrics change throughout. Midway through the song, electric guitar and drums are introduced, picking up the tempo. The rhythm timing is fairly consistent throughout. The overall vibe of the song is mysterious and powerful. I was very moved by Harry’s vocal performance in the song, which is noticeably more mature than his previous music in One Direction. The vocals are extremely dynamic (almost haunting), especially at the climax of the song. The lyrics in the song could portray various meanings. It can be assumed the song may have to do with death, with the reference “Door on your way to the sky” and “Welcome to the final show”. It could also be about dealing with depression, as the lyrics state, “We don’t talk enough/We should open up/Before it’s all too much”. This song is an example of the slower, ballad-type of songs on his album. Overall, “Sign of the Times” is truly a work of art.

Kiwi [4]

Harry Styles’ third single, titled “Kiwi” has a much harder rock sound to it. The song features heavy drums and electric guitar throughout. The melody is extremely fast-paced, with the tempo increasing significantly at the chorus of the song. This track is known to be one of Harry’s most raunchy songs, specifically due to the rough tones in Harry’s voice and rowdy lyrics. The song describes a whirlwind of chaos going on between him and a girl, with lyrics such as “This girl is crazy/I think I’m losing it”.  Many people have compared “Kiwi” to Michael Jacksons’s “Billie Jean”. It has also been described to have a “distinct mid 90’s Britpop appeal”. [5] This uptempo song gives off a “glam rock” vibe, which has attracted a large audience of many ages. At concerts, Harry often ends the show with “Kiwi” as his final song. Overall, this track was a very unexpected release, but it has proved to be a huge success.

Venue/Audience

The concert itself took place in Vancouver, British Columbia at the Rogers Arena. This arena can hold from 18 900 to 19 700 people.[6] I can definitely say that size is much larger than any concert I have ever attended in the past. When I arrived at the concert, each audience member was given a red sticker to put over their flashlight when “Sign of the Times” played. When Harry was ready to play the song, he informed everyone in the audience to turn on their flashlights. Within seconds, the entire arena lit up with red and white lights, representing Canada. Later, during “Kiwi”, Harry held up a Canadian flag to the crowd. The audience was extremely lively, cheering and singing along to every song, new and old, that Harry performed. He also included covers from older bands, such as Fleetwood Mac and newer artists, like Ariana Grande. The audience seemed to love the variety of music in the concert, as did I.

This is a picture I took of the Rogers Arena during the show.

Reflection/Conclusion

Overall, this concert was truly incredible. I have been a huge Harry Styles fan ever since I was young, and it was absolutely amazing to hear him sing live. I appreciated the way he spoke to the crowd with appreciation towards Canada, as did the rest of the audience. He truly looked as if he was enjoying himself on stage while performing, which made the entire arena enjoy themselves, too. He connected with the audience with acoustic, slow songs, as well as fast, intense songs. I truly think his setlist attracted audiences of all ages. There is nothing I would change about the show! I would definitely attend another Harry Styles concert in a heartbeat.

Citations 

[1]. “Harry Styles.” Biography.com. July 19, 2017. Accessed July 19, 2018. http://www.biography.com/people/harry-styles-21173991.

[2]. Kreps, Daniel. “On the Charts: Harry Styles Breaks Record With Number One Debut.” Rolling Stone. June 25, 2018. Accessed July 19, 2018. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/on-the-charts-harry-styles-breaks-record-with-number-one-debut-196714/.

[3]. “Harry Styles – Sign of the Times.” YouTube. May 08, 2017. Accessed July 20, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN4ooNx77u0.

[4]. “Harry Styles – Kiwi.” YouTube. November 08, 2017. Accessed July 20, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wg3v-01yKQ.

[5]. Barlow, Eve. “Harry Styles’ Solo Album: A Track-by-Track Breakdown.” Variety, Variety, 12 May 2017, variety.com/2017/music/news/harry-styles-solo-album-track-breakdown-1202424544/.

[6]. “Rogers Arena Seat & Row Numbers Detailed Seating Chart.” Dubai Map – City Centre Detailed Street Travel Guide with Must-See Places, Best Hotels, Popular Shopping Malls, 2018, www.mapaplan.com/seating-plan/vancouver-rogers-arena-detailed-row-numbers-chart/rogers-arena-vancouver-seating-chart.htm.