Spook Handy
How to start a music career: get expelled from first grade, hear the Beatles, get a guitar, take off like a rocket.
Who gets kicked out of first grade for their religious perspective? Spook Handy! Even so, he didn't get involved with music until he saw an early Beatles performance, and when he heard Peter, Paul, and Mary, a fire was lit.
Handy did finish his lower grades, then graduated Phi Beta Kappa, with a math and finance degree. Then, departing the business world just as his career was about to begin, Handy followed a musician's dream; he bought an old guitar, and set out on a music career. Believing that everyone "can leave a positive mark on the world," he has fulfilled his dream to make a difference, as his songs reflect his values and vision for the world.
Handy was an influencer from before it was a thing. Touring across North America playing 3,000 concerts, and presenting at 1,300 events such as open mics, workshops, festivals, and lectures, he is actively involved in the Folk movement of social influence and change. In addition to live performances of his acoustic songs, Handy has credits in theater and film, as well as six albums and numerous awards.
Pete Seeger invited Handy to perform with him in 2003, and a friendship was forged; playing together for more than a decade, the course of his life was altered. Playing with folks like Seeger, Peter Yarrow, Donovan, Guy Davis, Kokomo Ko, and David Amram profoundly changed the trajectory of Handy's career. Seeger is quoted as saying, "Spook Handy really understands how to write a good song that says something important."
Heavily influenced by a decade playing onstage with Pete Seeger, Handy's songs pull in Pete's spirit and influence. There exists a mentorship waterfall: Woodie Gutherie to Pete Seeger, Pete Seeger to Spook Handy, Spook Handy to musicians and listeners for decades.
