New York
Handy first published the song as an instrumental. Handy immediately sold it to music publisher Theron Bennett who took it to New York to attempt to promote it. Handy later claimed he had been robbed. In any case, Bennett convinced George "Honey Boy" Evans to use it for his "Honey Boy" Minstrels. Bennett hired professional songwriter, George A. Norton, to write words for it and Evans had his director, Edward V. Cupero, arrange it for his band. Bennett published it a year later but still the sheet music did poorly. Bennett's 1913 publication advertises it as "Founded on W.C. Handy's World Wide "Blue" Note Melody."
It wasn't until Victor Recording Company's (Victor Military Band, Victor 17619, July 15, 1914) and Columbia's (Prince's Band, Columbia A-5591, July 24) house bands recorded the song in 1914 that "The Memphis Blues" began to do well.
Read more about this topic: The Memphis Blues
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