W. C. Handy Music Festival

The W. C. Handy Music Festival is an annual music festival held in Florence, Alabama, to honor native son W. C. Handy, the “Father of the Blues.” It began in 1982 as a weekend of music and grew into a ten-day event with about 250 to 300 performances across blues, jazz, gospel, R&B, rock and bluegrass [1][2][3]. It is organized by the Music Preservation Society, a nonprofit formed in 1982 to preserve and promote the musical heritage of northwest Alabama [1].

Origins

A conversation between David Mussleman and Willie Ruff, a Sheffield native and jazz musician, led to the festival because nothing honored Handy in the Shoals area [3][1]. The first festival was a long weekend headlined by Dizzy Gillespie [1]. The Music Preservation Society, formed in 1982, stages it [1]. Board member Felice Green has served since the beginning [3].

Growth and programming

Over about two decades the festival expanded from a weekend to a week and then to ten days, with more than 250 events [1][3]. Encyclopedia of Alabama reports about 300 events over ten days, held the last week of July since 1982 [2]. In 2021, its 40th year, it ran 15 days after the 2020 festival went virtual because of COVID-19 [3]. The lineup presents rock, pop, gospel, R&B, jazz, blues and bluegrass [1][3]. The Festival All-Stars jazz roster has included Mundell Lowe, Lloyd Wells, Chuck Redd, Ray Reach and Holly Hofmann [1].

Education and recognition

The W. C. Handy Jazz Camp is held each year, jointly sponsored by the University of North Alabama and the festival [1]. The festival has been named a Top Ten Event in Alabama, a three-time Cultural Olympiad designee for the Atlanta Olympics, and a Top Twenty event in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society [1].

Handy sites in Florence

The festival is anchored by the W. C. Handy Birthplace, Museum and Library at 620 West College Street, which opened June 7, 1970, and holds the piano on which Handy composed “St. Louis Blues” and his trumpet [2]. A birthday celebration is held each November 16 with live music and free admission [2]. In 2018 the city transferred the museum to the W. C. Handy Foundation, run by the Handy family [2]. See W. C. Handy and Florence.

FAQs

When is the festival held? Traditionally the last week of July, over about ten days [2].

Who founded it? The Music Preservation Society, with Willie Ruff helping present the first one [1].

Sources

1. Wikipedia: W. C. Handy Music Festival
2. Encyclopedia of Alabama: W. C. Handy Birthplace, Museum, and Library
3. WAFF: 40 years of music and celebration: The history of W.C. Handy Festival

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 10, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue