July 15, 1914: W.C. Handy Records "The Saint Louis Blues"

July 15, 1914: W.C. Handy Records "The Saint Louis Blues," a landmark in recording the blues, a uniquely American art form.

William Christopher Handy was born on November 16, 1873 in Florence, Alabama, in a log cabin built by his grandfather. His father and said grandfather were both ministers in the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME). His father believed musical instruments were the tools of the Devil, but William learned to play the guitar and the cornet. 

In his autobiography, titled after a nickname he did not give himself, Father of the Blues, he cited as inspiration the "whippoorwills, bats and hoot owls and their outlandish noises," Cypress Creek washing on the fringes of the woodland, and "the music of every songbird and all the symphonies of their unpremeditated art." But he also cited his own people: "Southern Negroes sang about everything... They accompany themselves on anything from which they can extract a musical sound or rhythmical effect."

In 1893, a quartet he formed performed at the World's Columbia Exhibition, a World's Fair in Chicago. He eventually toured in Cuba, Mexico and Canada. In 1896, he married Elizabeth Price, and they had 6 children.

He is best known for 2 songs with "blues" and a city's name in the title. In 1909, he wrote "The Memphis Blues," which became the campaign song for the election of Mayor of Edward Crump, despite Crump being a white segregationist, and on his way to running the Democratic Party of Tennessee into corruption.

Sheet music for "The Memphis Blues" was published in 1912, and was said to be the inspiration for the invention of the Foxtrot by the married dancers Vernon and Irene Castle. Along with the Castles, Handy had become a national star.

In 1914, he wrote "The Saint Louis Blues" -- with "Saint" spelled out on the sheet music, not abbreviated as "St." He wrote:

The one-step and other dances had been done to the tempo of "Memphis Blues."... When "St Louis Blues" was written the tango was in vogue. I tricked the dancers by arranging a tango introduction, breaking abruptly into a low-down blues. My eyes swept the floor anxiously, then suddenly I saw lightning strike. The dancers seemed electrified. Something within them came suddenly to life. An instinct that wanted so much to live, to fling its arms to spread joy, took them by the heels.

He also wrote and recorded "Atlanta Blues," but it was not as big of a hit as his Memphis and St. Louis songs. In 1916, he had another Memphis-themed song, "Beale Street Blues," which was a hit. "Yellow Dog Blues," from 1912, was a big hit, and was even mentioned in Bobby Darin's 1958 hit song "Queen of the Hop."

He moved to New York, and was able to live off his music royalties, so that live performing was a pleasure, not a need. In 1929, an early sound film was titled St. Louis Blues. Handy produced it, but did not appear in it. Bessie Smith did, as "The Saint Louis Blues" was the song that introduced "The Empress of the Blues" to the world. It is believed to be her only film appearance.

In 1943, Handy fell off a Subway platform, and, although he was not hit by a train, he went blind as a result of the fall. His family moved him to nearby Yonkers, New York. In spite of his impairment, in 1949, he played "The Saint Louis Blues" on Toast of the Town, the show that became The Ed Sullivan Show.

He died on March 28, 1958, of bronchial pneumonia, at the age of 84, and was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in New York, where Vernon Castle, Bert Williams and Florence Mills had been buried. They would eventually be joined by Irene Castle, Fritz Kreisler, Duke Ellington, Milt Jackson, Irving Berlin, Miles Davis, Lionel Hampton, Max Roach, Scott La Rock, Celia Cruz, Ornette Coleman, Coleman Hawkins and Diahann Carroll -- and that's just from the world of music.

Handy did not quite live to see the premiere of a film based on his life, St. Louis Blues, which came on April 10, 1958. He was played by Nat King Cole. Ella Fitzgerald played herself. The film also starred Eartha Kitt, Cab Calloway, Mahalia Jackson, Ruby Dee, Pearl Bailey, and, as Handy as a boy, future rock and roll star Billy Preston.

New York City renamed West 52nd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues "W.C. Handy Place." West 52nd had previously been nicknamed "Swing Street" for all the music clubs along it. Billy Joel titled a 1978 album 52nd Street in tribute.

In 1967, 2 major league sports teams were established, taking their names from African-American music: The St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League, and the New Orleans Saints, from "When the Saints Go Marching In," of the National Football League.

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July 15, 1914 was a Wednesday. There were 3 major leagues in baseball that year. In the American League:

* The New York Yankees split a doubleheader with the Chicago White Sox at the Polo Grounds. The ChiSox won the opener, 3-2. The Yankees were leading the nightcap, 2-1 after 8 innings, when the umpires called the game due to darkness.

* The Boston Red Sox beat the Cleveland Naps, 4-0 at Fenway Park in Boston. Hubert "Dutch" Leonard pitched a 7-hit shutout. In their last year with Napoleon "Nap" Lajoie as their 2nd baseman, best hitter, manager and namesake, the team that became the Indians the next season couldn't score, even with Lajoie himself singling as a pinch-hitter. Babe Ruth, who had made his major league debut with the Red Sox 4 days earlier, did not appear in this game. Nor did "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, then with Cleveland.

* The Washington Senators and the Detroit Tigers were tied, 3-3 at American League Park (later Griffith Stadium) in Washington, when the game was called due to darkness. Neither team's signature player, Walter Johnson of the Senators or Ty Cobb of the Tigers, appeared in this game.

* And the Philadelphia Athletics and the St. Louis Browns were rained out at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. The game was made up as part of a doubleheader on August 25. The A's swept, 9-0 and 1-0. Rube Bressler pitched a 3-hit shutout in the 1st game, and Herb Pennock pitched a 6-hit shutout in the 2nd game.

In the National League: 

* The New York Giants lost to the Chicago Cubs, 5-4 at the West Side Grounds in Chicago. The Cubs scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th to win it.

* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-4 at Redland Field (later renamed Crosley Field) in Cincinnati.

* The Brooklyn Robins lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. This was the once-and-future Dodgers' 1st year with Wilbert Robinson as their manager, and they were named the Robins for him as long as he was with them, through the 1931 season, after which they became the Dodgers again. Zack Wheat went 0-for-3 for them. Honus Wagner went 0-for-4 for the Pirates.

* And the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Boston Braves, 5-3 at Robison Field in St. Louis.

And 1914 was the 1st of 2 seasons for the Federal League:

* The only team the FL had in New York City, the Brooklyn Tip-Tops, beat the Pittsburgh Rebels, 4-2 at Exposition Park, former home of the Pirates, which stood roughly where PNC Park does now. 

* The Indianapolis Hoosiers beat the Kansas City Packers, 5-3 at Gordon & Koppel Field in Kansas City. The Hoosiers went on to win the Pennant.

* The Buffalo Blues swept a doubleheader from the Baltimore Terrapins, 7-0 and 4-0 at at the International Fair Association Grounds in Buffalo. Earl Moore pitched a 4-hit shutout in the 1st game, and Fred Anderson pitched a 3-hit shutout in the 2nd game.

* The St. Louis Terriers beat the Chicago Whales, 2-0 at Weeghman Park in Chicago, the ballpark that would be adopted by the Cubs and eventually renamed Wrigley Field. Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown, the former Cubs ace, returned to the city of his greatest deeds, and pitched a 4-hit shutout for the Terriers.