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Wayne Handy
1.0 Biography

1.1 Early life

Wayne Jackson Handy was born in what is now Eden, North Caroilna on May 14, 1935. He grew up in neighboring Reidsville, North Carolina, a once thriving tobacco town and home to the American Tobacco Company. Wayne's father was a farmer and letter carrier, and his mother a housewife. The last of five children, Wayne was charismatic, with a melodic, soothing voice and a skilled ear for music and melody. He and his sister Frances enjoyed singing popular church songs together at home, and in 1956 he joined a Reidsville swing dance band called The Blue Flames for which he provided the vocals.

1.2 Music career

In 1957 he was scouted by a local man to come down to Durham, North Carolina and sing on the local show Saturday Night Country Style with Jim Thornton. Watching the performance that night on the radio was Howard Rambeau, the owner of a small Durham label called Renown Records. Howard called the TV station that night before Wayne left to ask if he wanted to record for Renown. Wayne signed with Renown and released his first single "Say Yeah" in 1957. Authored by Handy, "Say Yeah" climbed to the top ten on the weekly Billboard charts in New Orleans and Orlando, Florida, and was later recorded by rockabilly artist Sammy Salvo. After his initial success, the company BMI struck a deal with Renown Records to license and promote Handy's music.

Wayne recorded with some well-known musicians at the time such the Melody masters, the King Sisters, and the saxophonist Boots Randolph. In 1957 he was asked to appear in Philadelphia on the television show American Bandstand with Dick Clark. After his performance he was driven back to the airport by a representative from the show. The representative informed Handy that if he wanted Bandstand to keep playing his songs on the show, he or Renown Records would have to pay for the priviledge. "Pay to play", also called "payola", is a form of corruption in the music business where those who control the media channels demand money for playing an artist's music. Neither Handy nor Renown Records would cooperate, and consequently Handy's songs were not played on Bandstand or anywhere else other than in North Carolina. Handy joined the US Army in 1958 and was stationed in Alaska. After his Army enlistment, he returned to North Carolina to enroll at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and pursue a degree in Business. Disillusioned by the music business,he did not extend his contract with Renown Records and lost touch with Rambeau. He never played music professionally again, but in the 1970s collaborated briefly with a friend, Harold Langdon, to entertain with original songs at social events as Handy and Landy. Wayne Handy currently resides in Greensboro, North Carolina with his wife of over 50 years, Marjorie. He works as a mortgage broker. His music is still appreciated by American fans of vintage rock n' roll and rockabilly, and his singles are played on the radio in eastern Europe and South America.

2.0 Style

Wayne Handy was influenced by the artist Little Richard and was part of the original rockabilly movement, a blend of country and rock and roll. All of the songs released on his singles were original material authored by Handy.

3.0 Discography

Wayne Handy released five singles with Renown Records, for a total of ten published songs. All of his songs were authored by him and vary from raucous rockablliy to crooning ballads. His biggest hit was "Say Yeah". Today his songs can be found on compilations of rockabilly music from the 1950s. The complete list of his published songs:

--Betcha' Didn't Know

--So Much to Remember

--I'll Never Be the Same

--Say Yeah

--You'll Never Be Mine

--Seminole Rock n' Roll

--Problem Child

--I Think You Oughta' Look Again

--Could It Be

--Don't Be Unfair