W.C. Handy Publishes Blues Compositions Through Handy Brothers Music Company

Through the early 1920s, W.C. Handy—co-founder of Black Swan Records with Harry Pace before their partnership dissolved—continued publishing his compositions through Handy Brothers Music Company, one of the first Black-owned music publishing firms. His earlier compositions, including 'Memphis Blues' (1912) and 'St. Louis Blues' (1914), were being recorded extensively by other artists, establishing him as the 'Father of the Blues' and one of the first Black musicians to profit from music publishing rights.