SEARCH RESULTS FOR: W. C. Handy
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(Bandleader, 1890–1969) W. Lee O’Daniel rose to fame as the leader and announcer of The Light Crust Doughboys. President of the band’s sponsor Burrus Mill, he disliked their music and had little respect for the musicians, but he was ambitious – and used the band as a tool for self-promotion. After being fired by Burrus, he formed ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen

(Vocals, songwriter, b. 1940) Born in High Point, Louisiana, Newman was one of the first Cajun artists to succeed in country music’s mainstream – though his earliest recordings bore few traces of the Cajun influence. In the early 1950s, Newman became a popular performer on the Louisiana Hayride before moving on to Nashville and the Grand ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen

1907–73, English Possessing an ironic wit and a supreme lyric gift, Wystan Hugh Auden, born in York, England, in 1907, was one of the great writers of the twentieth century. To him, opera was ‘the last refuge of the High Style’, since it was the sole art that could survive the pessimism of modernity. ...

Source: Definitive Opera Encyclopedia, founding editor Stanley Sadie

(Archivist, bandleader, 1873–1958) W.C. Handy, who led string quartets, brass bands and minstrel-show groups, was a major force in exposing the blues of southern blacks to a mainstream audience. In Memphis in the 1910s Handy, who would become known as the Father of the Blues, emerged with recordings of his compositions ‘Yellow Dog ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley

(Rap group, 1985–91) Founders of gangsta rap, N.W.A. stands for Niggaz With Attitude; their visceral debut Straight Outta Compton (1989) featured controversial tracks such as ‘Fuck Tha Police’, a reaction to the unprovoked beating the LA cops gave Rodney King. However, many tracks – despite their exciting delivery – were mindlessly violent and sexist, as ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley

‘Funkytown’, 1980 Possibly the last bona fide disco hit in the US, Lipps, Inc.’s ‘Funkytown’ was a worldwide hit that reached No. 1 (and went platinum) in America, and also reached No. 2 in the UK. Its sparse production was not dissimilar to Prince’s early work of the time (interestingly, both came from Minneapolis), and was ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley

Few would deny that the blues has played a more important role in the history of popular culture than any other musical genre. As well as being a complete art form in itself, it is a direct ancestor to the different types of current popular music we know and love today. Without the blues there would have been no Beatles ...

Source: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music, general editor Paul Du Noyer

A rollicking, fast piano style characterized by repetitive eighth-note bass figures in the left hand, meshed with sharp, bluesy single-note runs in the right hand, boogie-woogie was an infectious form that had an immediate appeal to dancers. While the left hand remained tied to the task of covering driving bass lines in a kind of ‘automatic pilot’ ...

Source: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music, general editor Paul Du Noyer

Bessie Smith was one of the greatest vocalists of the twentieth century; her emotional delivery and exquisite phrasing has been an influence on instrumentalists as well as innumerable singers, both male and female. Many of her records, including ‘Gimmie a Pigfoot’, ‘Woman’s Trouble Blues’, ‘St. Louis Blues’ and the song that became an anthem of the Great Depression, ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues, founding editor Howard Mandel

(Vocal/instrumental group, 1978–present) The W.C. Handy Award-winning duo patterned itself after Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee. Guitarist John ‘Bowling Green’ Cephas (b. 1930) and ‘Harmonica’ Phil Wiggins (b. 1954) met at a jam session in Washington, DC and began performing together in 1978. They toured the globe on a US State Department tour and recorded throughout the 1980s ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues, founding editor Howard Mandel

(Guitar, vocals, 1939–91) Stating his intent with 1961’s million-selling – and self-penned – ‘Runaway’, this square-jawed hunk from Michigan continued an exploration of small town soul-torture with the likes of ‘Hats Off To Larry’, ‘Little Town Flirt’ and ‘Stranger In Town’. Other chartbusters included ‘The Swiss Maid’, ‘From Me To You’ – the first Beatles composition to penetrate the ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley

Born in Henderson, Tennessee, in 1918, Eddy Arnold has not only shown remarkable longevity as an artist (his career spans seven decades and he has sold more than 80 million records); he was also a pivotal figure in country music’s dramatic stylistic shift during the 1950s from rough and rural to urbane and sophisticated. Speaking Through Song A ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen

(Piano, arranger, bandleader, 1897–1952) The Georgia native came to New York in 1920 and worked at a music publishing company owned by Harry Pace and W.C. Handy. When Pace left in 1921 to form the Black Swan record label, Henderson followed as house pianist and arranger. In 1923 Henderson’s session band, which included young talents ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues, founding editor Howard Mandel

(Vibraphone, 1930–90) Vibraphonist Lionel Hampton’s long career included roles as sideman, bandleader, and cultural force that extended beyond the jazz world. Beginning as a drummer, he switched to vibes at the suggestion of Louis Armstrong, and then broke the colour barrier as a member of Benny Goodman’s legendary big band. Hampton’s own groups melded swing with ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley

(Vocal duo, 1993–present) This Cambridge, Massachusetts-based duo embrace vintage music styles with absolute authenticity. Brooklyn-born Rishell (b. 1950, vocals, guitar) discovered traditional blues in the 1960s and played with Son House and Johnny Shines. He began leading bands and performing solo in 1975, releasing his debut Blues On Holiday in 1990. He then met Raines (b. ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues, founding editor Howard Mandel
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An extensive music information resource, bringing together the talents and expertise of a wide range of editors and musicologists, including Stanley Sadie, Charles Wilson, Paul Du Noyer, Tony Byworth, Bob Allen, Howard Mandel, Cliff Douse, William Schafer, John Wilson...

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Classical, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Country and more. Flame Tree has been making encyclopaedias and guides about music for over 20 years. Now Flame Tree Pro brings together a huge canon of carefully curated information on genres, styles, artists and instruments. It's a perfect tool for study, and entertaining too, a great companion to our music books.

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