In 1926, W.C. Handy published Blues: An Anthology, a classic collection of great blues songs arranged for piano and voice—the most famous blues collection in history. Among the first black men to write and publish blues music, Handy (1873–1958) did more than anyone else to make blues popular and accepted. The composer of "Memphis Blues," "St. Louis Blues," and "Beale Street Blues," Handy became widely recognized as "The Father of Blues."Revised in 1949 and 1972, this edition of Handy's anthology incorporates the music to more than fifty songs with Abbe Nile's introductory historical notes that discuss blues as music, as verse, as an influence on jazz and popular song, and W. C. Handy and his place in music history. In addition to Handy's tunes and arrangements such as "East St. Louis," "Juba," "Yellow Dog Blues," and "Aunt Hagar's Children," there are notes for each song, a bibliography, and a chart of guitar chords. The text is supplemented with an outstanding new introduction by William Ferris, and highlighted by a series of striking drawings and lithographs by the renowned Mexican illustrator Miguel Covarrubias (1902–1957).