Arizona sun., 1953-02-27
pR0FIlE5 AND
pREvIEW5
BY ALLAN MCMILLAN

at the Inaugural Ball, there was
one personality will always re-
member. He was just that vivid
and s?arkling, disregarding the
fact that George Murphy, Dorothy
| Maynor, Adolphe Menjou, Leigh
| Whipper, Noble Sissle, Lionel
Hampton, Irene Dunno and Valai-
da Snow, were all there. 1 have
reference to William C. Handy, the
internationally famous Father of
the Blues" whose "St. Louis Blues"
set the pattern for many later
tunes by the late George Gershwin
the late Fats Waller, Ted Kohler
Hoagy Carmichael and Duke FL
lington. Whenever I hear Billye
Holiday moaning in that deep sob
bing throb, or hear the enchantin@
Ethel Waters pour out her soul be-
cause "her man done her wroao"
or listen to the youngster Little
Esther" pout about her daddy
left her cold," then I think about
Handy.
Long years ago, when Jazz first
began to sweep the Mississippi
delta and PEOPLE We're. thinking of
that evening sun going down" or
the Spirit tual tome Sometimes !
Feel LAX A Motherless Chile"
William G.. Handy was making it
possible for other men and won-
en- who might come down the trail
IF Tin Pan Alley throughout the
wears to hear the heritage Of the
Negro by way of his contribution
20 American music. In fact, as
Noble Sissle puts it, America can
only boast of the Negroes cOntrih',
ton. 1t is all his. The Gershwin
Rhapsody in Blue" came from the
Negro and when voI lietn:1 to thr
score of "Porgy and Bess" you will
hear everything that the white
man has s'Olen from the Negro
All of his pathos and soulful throb-
hing in there. And. his rhythm.
At the age of seventy-eight. Mr.
Handy still nuts in a DAYS work ct
his office. although he is now COM
pie ely blind. He looks at the
world and its people through his
soul and his tremendous spiritual
fortitude gives him courage that
few peonle ever possess. He finds
time to fill theatre and TV engage
ments and to enjoy life among his
many friends. He attends almos
every worthwhile civic and educa-
tionol affair, makes yearly visits tc
his home town in Memphis, heads
he work of the w. c. Handy Foun-
latin for the Blind. writes hun
dredS of letters to Mayors, Con-
oreSSmen. Senators end Governors
all over the nation. His immortal
"St. Louis Blues" has been PLAYED
in every country in the Universe
9nd by bandleaderS of every r9ce
There is a DiXieland Jazz Band in
Honolulu composed of HaWaiianS
fi1I jd'2fflf'SH HH'l IN a Gth'hNF com 4
cert thew stole the show with "St. |
q 2uis BheS." "Memnhis Blues" |
.LOVefeSS Love" and ''Ti6er Rag"
To the many youngsters who are |
now irving to reach the ton. I Si~
o'eSt thew take q chanter from the |
life of William c. Handy, one Of |
he truly great Americans. Truth |
, 'utly, the inS S"iration thu coma |
from the HccOmrliShmantS of such |
personality as Mr.. Handy should |
be = guiding light for all to follow. |
Mr.. Handy went to Washington
n, Dlav for President and Mrs
Dwight d. Eisenhower and he |
nlaved his famous "St. Louis |
Blues" on his golden trlmnes. Jus !
rs true in tone, Just IS mellow IL |
musical deplh as when l first |
heard him twenty years ago at the |
Chicago ] heatre in CHICAGO.
~ If Won have not rnad w. c.. Han |
dN'S "A Treasury of the Blues" Won
1We it TO yourself to do 50. He is |
frulv one of the greatest personal
itieG,I have ever met.
Celebs Around Town: Former
heavvWeight champ Joe Louis tell I