Question: Who was considered the father of the blues?

context: William Christopher Handy (November 16, 1873 – March 28, 1958) was a composer and musician, and called himself the Father of the Blues. An African American, Handy was one of the most influential songwriters in the United States. One of many musicians who played the distinctively American blues music, Handy did not create the blues genre but was the first to publish music in the blues form, thereby taking the blues from a regional music style (Delta blues) with a limited audience to a new level of popularity.
question: Who referred to himself as the father of the blues?
short_answers: W. C. Handy
William Christopher Handy
context: Charley Patton (died April 28, 1934), also known as Charlie Patton, was an American Delta blues musician. Considered by many to be the "Father of the Delta Blues", he created an enduring body of American music and inspired most Delta blues musicians. The musicologist Robert Palmer considered him one of the most important American musicians of the twentieth century.
question: Who was considered by many to be the father of the Delta blues?
short_answers: Charley Patton
Charlie Patton
context: McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913 April 30, 1983), known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician who is often cited as the "father of modern Chicago blues", and an important figure on the post-war blues scene. His style of playing has been described as "raining down Delta beatitude".
question: Who was considered the father of Chicago blues?
short_answers: Muddy Waters
McKinley Morganfield

Answer: Several musicians are known by variations of the title,"Father of the Blues". William Christopher Handy, a composer and musician, called himself the "Father of the Blues." Charley Patton, an American Delta Blues musician, was considered by many to be the "Father of the Delta Blues." McKinley Morganfield, known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American Blues singer-songwriter and musician is often cited as the "Father of modern Chicago Blues."