W.C. Handy was born on November 16th, 1873 in Florence, Alabama. He grew up in a run-down, rural area and lived in a log cabin his grandfather made. He always had a passion for music, and often listened to bands such as, "Tennessee River," but his family and church discouraged him and frowned upon his love for music. Handy's first interaction with an instrument was when he bought a guitar by secretly earning money through …showed first 75 words of 813 total…

…showed last 75 words of 813 total…American Song (1944). Handy contributed to the nation through his writings of both music and books, and became an example, not only to the African American population, but to the whole population. Fredrick Nietzsche once said, "You can live your life in a meaningless way, or you can attempt to create your own meaning and impose it on the world."(Humanity Book, page 16) By imposing his aspect on the world, William Christopher Handy changed the world.