FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Question:  What is the W.C. Handy Music Festival?
Answer:  An extended week-long series of music events in and around the Shoals which honors W.C. Handy.  The Festival was originally intended to preserve, promote, and present the musical heritage of the Shoals in Northwest Alabama.

Question:  Who is W.C. Handy?
Answer:  Florence, Alabama native William Christopher Handy (1873-1958), was a famous composer of sacred and secular music (including “St. Louis Blues”).  He achieved several “firsts”, and is known as the “Father of the Blues”.  The Handy Home and Museum currently stands on College Street in Florence, Alabama.

Question:    When did the Handy Festival start? 
Answer:      1982.  (In 2009 we will celebrate our 28th annual Handy Festival.)

Question:  What are the dates for this year’s Handy Festival?
Answer:  Official dates are July 23th thru’ July 29th 2006.  (However, Handy related events will probably be scheduled for as early as July 17th and as late as July 30th.)

Question:    What does the Handy Festival consist of?
Answer:  Live bands performing at area restaurants, clubs, parks, churches, retail stores, and any other place that can house music morning noon and night at Handy lunches, dinners, and late nights, or anytime in between.  It also consists of events during which an appreciation of music is taught such as ABC’s of Jazz, or the Music Spelling Bee, visits to local libraries and museums, and it highlights the rich musical heritage of the Shoals area.

Question:  Who are some of the past Handy Festival Headliners?
Answer:  Dizzy Gillespie, Nancy Wilson, Ramsey Lewis, Manhattan Transfer, Freddie Cole, Ellis Marsalis, Carrie Smith, Roberta Flack, Diane Schuur, Charlie Byrd, Bobby Blue Bland, Dr. Billy Taylor, Little Milton, Diane Reeves, Roy Ayers, Clarence Carter, Percy Sledge…

Question:  Why aren’t all of the musical performances that are offered during the Handy Festival held in one place?  Why isn’t the Handy Festival a center stage type event?
Answer:  The Handy Festival was originally designed to promote area businesses and improve the local and regional economy.  By placing bands in stores and restaurants, we hope to drive traffic into those venues, creating an opportunity for direct sales for those businesses.  For example:  if a Festival attendee follows his favorite band into a store, maybe he’ll purchase something while he’s there.  And maybe he’ll come back, and provide repeat business for that store or restaurant.

Question:  Who plans the Handy Festival? 
Answer:  The Handy Festival Steering Committee, with the Music Preservation Society, Inc.

Question:  Why isn’t the Handy Festival held during cooler months?
Answer:  The Handy Festival takes place during the summer months so that families with children can attend together and enjoy Festival events when children are not in school.  There are many events designed specifically with children in mind, such as ABC’s of Blues, Jazz & Beyond; Kidz Jamm; GeoBlues; End of Summer Reading Program; Blues-N-Bread Pudding; Musical Jazz Spelling Bee; Children’s Museum; and the Youth Conference.  Since many of those who attend the Festival are not local, it would be difficult to find a time during fall, winter, or spring when children from different school systems are out of school at the same time.  We also strive to be good neighbors, and since, the Film Festival in March, Arts Alive in May, the Helen Keller Festival takes place in June, Renaissance Faire in October, as well as the Trail of Tears, Bass Tournaments, the Independence Day Celebration on the 4th of July, and much more.  With our Festival is scheduled for the last full week in July, our goal is to provide something fun and create tourist attractions in the Shoals all year long.

Question:  How can one become involved in the Handy Festival?
Answer:  Businesses can contribute to the Handy Festival by becoming a general sponsor, which provides funding to offset the costs of presenting the Handy Festival.  Businesses are also invited to sponsor or co-sponsor either existing Handy Events or they can organize their own event.  Individuals may participate by becoming sponsors or “Friends of the Festival”.  Others may contact us at wchandymusic@wchandymusicfestival.org or by calling 256-766-7642.

Question:  Who has legal permission to  use the W.C. Handy name during Handy Festival week?
Answer:  Only those businesses, individuals, or organizations who have worked with the Festival Steering Committee and who are sanctioned as official Handy Festival Events.

Question:  Who are the musicians that provide music during Handy Festival week?
Answer:  Many musicians (bands and individual artists) play during Festival week and have developed a following.  Musicians (or their agents) contact the Festival office each year to vie for an opportunity to play during Handy Festival week.  Sometimes, news of a particularly talented band is passed along to Festival organizers and – if there is an appropriate venue – they are invited to participate.  Some of our artists are local.  Others are nationally or internationally known.  But all are very talented and well-respected artists.

Question:  What are some of the accolades that have been accorded to the Handy Festival?
Answer:  The W.C. Handy Music Festival has been a Top 20 Event in the Southeast/July-August (Southeast Tourism Society) each year since 1986, a Top Ten Event in Alabama by Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel, and was a three-time Cultural Olympiad Event (Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games).  The Festival is a featured Site on the National Geographic/Appalachian Regional Commission GeoTourism Map, and was selected as a 2004 ‘Local Secret! Big Find!’ by Travelocity.com.  The Handy Festival has won numerous Addy awards for the Festival campaign (Shoals Advertising Federation) and has been listed in several national publications including USA Today, US News and World Report, Southern Living, National Geographic Traveler, Travel & Leisure, Going Places (Triple A’s Travel Magazine).  The Festival has also been touted as a boon to local economy by local Tourism and has been positively recognized by Shoals officials.

Question:  How can I contribute to the Handy Festival?
Answer:  We are a non-profit organization so your contributions are tax deductible.  Make your check payable to the Music Preservation Society and mailed to P.O. Box 1827, Florence, AL  35630.  The Handy Festival Committee has items such as posters, t-shirts, mugs, hats, buttons, and cd openers available.  If you wish to make a purchase, concessions are available while quantities last, so place your order and your Handy Festival memorabilia can be mailed to your address!