SOURCE: “William Christopher Handy, Father of the Blues,” in Jazz Journal, Vol. 24, No. 3, March, 1971, pp. 10-12.

In the following essay, Kay examines the early publication history of blues songs other than Handy's, but concludes that “the greatness of William Christopher Handy remains unchallenged.”

The place was a Harlem Baptist Church. The time was Wednesday afternoon, April 2, 1958. A trumpet solo to his favourite hymn Holy City, played by jazz trumpeter Cootie Williams, closed the funeral service for William Christopher Handy, 84, internationally acclaimed ‘Father of the Blues’.

From his pulpit, Reverend Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., paid homage to Handy and his blues in words expressing the sadness, sunshine and bitter-sweet humour associated with the blues and jazz of the American Negro. ‘His personal blues are now ended. From this pulpit I have buried King Oliver, Fats Waller, Charlie Parker and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, and now Bill Handy is with them...