Which American musician is considered to be the "father of the blues"?

Born on the 16th of November, 1873, Handy was one of the most influential American songwriters. He was an educated musician, however he was just one of many musicians who played the distinctively American blues music (even though he did it fantastically good). So why do we know him as the "father of blues"?

Handy is credited with giving the blues its contemporary form. He was not the first to publish music in the blues form, but he took the blues from a regional music style with a limited audience to one of the dominant national forces in American music.

This might be interesting: Handy's father was deeply religious and believed that all musical instruments were the tools of the devil. That is why William had to buy his first musical intrument (guitar) without his father's permission.