Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1943-11-13
NBC Program
To Fete Him On
10Th Birthday
Four Vagabonds
To Be Guests
On November Is
By HAROLD JOvIEN

CHICAGO - CAMP - On the
occasion of his 74th birthday ami
versary, special tribute will be paid
w. G. Handy, composer of st.
Louis Blues" and many other ram
Gus blues, when an all-Handy roper
toire with dramatic highlights OF
his life will be presented on the
second half of the Roy Shield and
Company radio show ever the Ma
tional Broadcasting Company net
work Tuesday, November 10 from
1880 to 1855 p. m. CWT.
With the belief that Handy's
great music can best be interpreted
by members of his own race, the
Vagabonds. well known Negro song
and instrumental quartet, will make
a guest appearance on the program
to do one of the tunes which mace
the composer famous, "Beale Street
Blues" The Handy compositions
will be woven into a dramatic
script, telling how the tunes were
written, by Nelson Olmsted, NBC
story teller.
PRAISES COMPOSER
DR.. Shield, music director for the
NBC Central Division, lauded
Handy for his contributions to mu-
steal Americans in pre-broadcast
statement, Beyond doubt, Handy
is the greatest composer of blues
the world has ever known" the mu-
steal director declared.
eve feel that by dedicating this
program to the father OF the blues
on his birthday, we will, in some
small measure, be giving him addl-
tional recognition which he so just
ly deserves. Not only is Handy
credit to his race but all Americans
have cause to be grateful to him.
His music will live because it Is part
of Americas folk music Dr.. Shield
said.
Handy, in turn, many times has
expressed his debt to radio. He
once declared that if by no other
medium, his works will live be-
cause of radio.
In addition to st, Louis Blues"
the composer has scored many other
all time hits. In 1909, at the peak
of hot political campaign, the
tunesn1ith sat down and wrote
piece he called "Mr. Crump." Few
know the selection by that name,
Int countless thousands have hum
med the plaintive strains of that
same melody, under the title OF
Memphis Blues" OF almost equal
fame is Handy's "Beale Street
Blues" and on another occasion he
wrote that song masterpiece, Love
less Love-"
BORN IN ALABAMA
Handy was born in Florence,
Ala. on November Is, 1873. Few ed
| vocational opportunities were avail
| able but he did attend several terms
| at the district school at his home
| town. His own Unsuitable curiosity
carried on where his formal school
!, ing left off. In later years, when he
wasn't pursuing his many interests
allied with the pnusical world, he
read widely on o~ner subjects.
| In 1893, when he was only 20
years old, Handy organized a vocal
quartet and for the next seven
years the boys travelled with one
band or another in all parts OF the
country. firing of the life OF
trouper +ae composer took a posi-
ton as teacher of music at the Ag-
riculture and Mechanics College OF
Normal, Ala, in 1900, remaining at
that post for three years.
THE PROGRAM
/. ''St. Louis Blues Roy
Shield Orchestra
2. Memphis Blues Jeanne
McKenna, vocal Soloist, accompan-
led by orchestra.
8. "The Yellow Dog Blues" -
Ralph Martire, trumpet solo, accom-
panied by orchestra.
4. 1.-The Aunt Hagar's Blues" -
Carol Sistt,s, vocal trio, accompan-
led by orchestra.
5. "The Yellow Dog Blues -
This time by Savants, 1--WE group.
5. "Beale Street Blues" Roy
Shield Orchestra with specially ar
ranged veal by radio popular Four
8v 7. MElvlM