W.C. HANDY SCHOOL Named for Florence's famed "Father of the Blues," (Negro Musician) opened in 1951 for grades one through six. Its principal was Welton Reynolds who was later the principal of the J.W. Powell school. Reynolds was instrumental in the preservation and restoration of the historic birthplace of W.C. Handy which was made a part of the W.C. Handy Cabin and Museum. This facility now serves as the W.C. Handy Head Start School for the city. Excerpt of "A Walk Through The Past" William Christopher Handy was born in a log cabin in west Florence AL. He composed "Memphis Blues," "Hesitating Blues," "St. Louis Blues" and other hits of the early 20th century. His pioneering role in this distinctively modern music earned him the nickname of "The Father of the Blues." The son of former slaves, Handy left home as a teenager, performing in travelling minstrel shows, teaching school and leading a variety of bands, until settling in Memphis, Tennessee. While in Memphis, Handy founded a music publishing company with Harry Pace (they later moved to New York City). Although he lost his eyesight when he was 30, Handy continued to lead bands and write music. His music combined elements of folk ballads and spirituals with ragtime, and Handy is credited with adding flatted thirds and sevenths, creating what has since been known as the blues. The annual music awards from the Blues Foundation were known for many years as the W.C. Handy Awards, or "Handys" for short. The award was renamed in 2006 as the Blues Music Awards. Source: answers.com Biography