{"artistName":"W. C. Handy","artistId":5169,"artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/c38/c384b79bff8094fb908e43401a229622_xl.jpg","srcset":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/c38/c384b79bff8094fb908e43401a229622_sm.jpg 50w,https://artist99.cdn107.com/c38/c384b79bff8094fb908e43401a229622_md.jpg 80w,https://artist99.cdn107.com/c38/c384b79bff8094fb908e43401a229622_lg.jpg 200w,https://artist99.cdn107.com/c38/c384b79bff8094fb908e43401a229622_xl.jpg 340w","artistBio":"\u003cp\u003eWilliam Christopher Handy (November 16, 1873 – March 28, 1958) was a blues composer and musician. He was widely known as the \"Father of the Blues\".\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHandy remains among the most influential of American songwriters. Though he was one of many musicians who played the distinctively American form of music known as the blues, he is credited with giving it its contemporary form. While Handy was not the first to publish music in the blues form, he took the blues from a not very well-known regional music style to one of the dominant forces in American music.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHandy was an educated musician who used folk material in his compositions. He was scrupulous in documenting the sources of his works, which frequently combined stylistic influences from several performers. He loved this folk musical form and brought his own transforming touch to it.\u003c/p\u003e","musicPath":"/music/W+C+Handy","playStationPath":"/stations/114186986/play","stationId":114186986,"bioPath":"/music/W+C+Handy/_full_bio","similars":[{"musicPath":"/music/Doctor+Ross","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/1d2/1d2ae64e31e84b71cc658b9611a22c19_md.jpg","artistName":"Doctor Ross","artistId":126692,"station_id":286824220},{"musicPath":"/music/Johnny+Dodds","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/409/4092fd4e39b10381d5115ffdbee675df_md.jpg","artistName":"Johnny Dodds","artistId":102331,"station_id":280764095},{"musicPath":"/music/Snooky+Pryor","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/679/679440930d29f2f84fc0af2aa5d53fb4_md.jpg","artistName":"Snooky Pryor","artistId":101605,"station_id":279050301},{"musicPath":"/music/Little+Charlie+The+Nightcats","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/bea/bea33a14a0c132f3b791fcb258fb7dc6_md.jpg","artistName":"Little Charlie \u0026 The Nightcats","artistId":109104,"station_id":281863585},{"musicPath":"/music/Johnny+Moore+s+Three+Blazers","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/79d/79d10ca4d7eebeb7db195a6f6f42fb1d_md.jpg","artistName":"Johnny Moore's Three Blazers","artistId":5177,"station_id":117227538},{"musicPath":"/music/Henry+Townsend","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/0aa/0aa3806c75c666dda585cee076134098_md.jpg","artistName":"Henry Townsend","artistId":110710,"station_id":282142212},{"musicPath":"/music/Wynton+Marsalis+Eric+Clapton","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/742/74290ca89f8ce6ddee8003ff6a4f7f36_md.jpg","artistName":"Wynton Marsalis \u0026 Eric Clapton","artistId":93570,"station_id":275326074},{"musicPath":"/music/Eddie+Taylor","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/1cd/1cd3802a5a6dbfef4f12af59fe703d1d_md.jpg","artistName":"Eddie Taylor","artistId":101570,"station_id":279050147},{"musicPath":"/music/Tommy+McClennon","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/e6b/e6b09782c3ec4a96957033e4ff0946a4_md.jpg","artistName":"Tommy McClennon","artistId":5191,"station_id":117001827},{"musicPath":"/music/Willie+Mabon","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/9ee/9eea99048ec91ef6e3c69ed3e3c1011f_md.jpg","artistName":"Willie Mabon","artistId":115768,"station_id":282865923},{"musicPath":"/music/Joe+Liggins","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/14a/14a9917ec7261dfa254e3b925275ea5e_md.jpg","artistName":"Joe Liggins","artistId":5176,"station_id":114442382},{"musicPath":"/music/Eddie+Cleanhead+Vinson","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/af0/af09cf04395204392bfff8f9df0e7191_md.jpg","artistName":"Eddie \"Cleanhead\" Vinson","artistId":100194,"station_id":278991056},{"musicPath":"/music/Roy+Milton","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/364/364a1a15cc7703d35950fa8269c1c52b_md.jpg","artistName":"Roy Milton","artistId":108920,"station_id":281863450},{"musicPath":"/music/Margaret+Johnson","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/bf8/bf8bce355e6c981df503ab1e0ab208ce_md.jpg","artistName":"Margaret Johnson","artistId":118901,"station_id":283254191},{"musicPath":"/music/John+Mooney","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/898/898cfa08143dfd6a5355c3dccc58be59_md.jpg","artistName":"John Mooney","artistId":108796,"station_id":281863328},{"musicPath":"/music/Lightning+Group","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/822/822de48c5f1a0ef0d9ea40a488ce0bfb_md.jpg","artistName":"Lightning \u0026 Group","artistId":5159,"station_id":124764506},{"musicPath":"/music/Gus+Cannon","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/1a3/1a311c533dbe6878de2913ab6030cdda_md.jpg","artistName":"Gus Cannon","artistId":128747,"station_id":284905579},{"musicPath":"/music/Hot+Lips+Page","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/ccc/cccbe32c09a2f689464adfab2cf65c41_md.jpg","artistName":"Hot Lips Page","artistId":83687,"station_id":269167352}]}