Description: W:\archives\Inventory\heading2.jpg
    Manuscript Collections


 

BILL HARRISON COLLECTION

97-050

 

 

 

1921-1997

[Bulk: 1965-1985]

 

 

 

 

28.5 linear feet

 

 

 

The Center for Popular Music

Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN

 

Processed by David Jellema, September 1998

Revised by Lucinda P. Cockrell, March 2006

Revised by Rachel K. Morris, June 2011

 

 

 

 

 


Table of Contents

 

Creator

Type of Material

Physical Description

Dates

Abstract (Descriptive Summary)

Access/Restrictions

Provenance and Acquisition Information

Subject/Index Terms

Agency History/Biographical Sketch............................................................3

 

Scope and Content..........................................................................................4

 

Series Description............................................................................................5

 

Collection Contents (Folder/Box List)...........................................................9

 

Materials Cataloged Separately

Arrangement……………………………………………..…………….……17

 

Location

Related Materials………………………………………………………...….18

 

 

 

Creator:

Harrison, Bill, 1920-

 

Type of Material:

Books, Sound Recordings, Trade Catalogs, Newspaper Clippings, Performance Documents, Manuscripts, Photographs, Serials

 

Physical Description:

28.5 linear feet, including audio recordings, photographs, and manuscript papers

 

Dates:

1921-1997, bulk 1965-1985

 

Abstract (Descriptive Summary):

This collection documents Bill Harrison’s work in organizing the Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Association, music festivals, and events and conventions related to old time fiddling. To date the Center has no other collection that so completely documents the organization and production of music festivals in general.  Nor has it any single, cohesive collection of mixed media that concentrates on the types of music that Harrison promoted. 

 

Access/Restrictions:

The only materials in this collection for which we have rights of reproduction are Harrison’s own photographs, writings, and manuscript recordings.  These are not all identified. Center staff is able to assist with copyright questions for this material.

 

Provenance and Acquisition Information:

The majority of the music-related materials among his effects were collected and compiled by Bill Harrison himself for personal and professional reasons.  These materials were gathered by his daughter, Molly Sadler and his son, Mike Harrison, and donated to the Center for Popular Music on February 28, 1998, following Harrison’s death on November 15, 1997.

 

Subject/Index Terms:

Harrison, Bill, 1920-

Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Association

Old-time music

 

Agency History/Biographical Sketch:

Bill Harrison was born in 1920 and raised in Limestone County, Alabama.  Harrison joined the Navy at eighteen, married in 1944, worked as Program Manager of the Documentation Division of the Army Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal, and retired in 1974.  He died in 1997.

 

Harrison founded the Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Association and launched the first TVOTFA Convention in November 1967.  This fiddle contest, held at Athens College [Athens, Alabama], became a model for other contests in the South like it.  He founded and edited a periodical called The Devil’s Box which documented and promoted old time fiddle music and

other Southern folk traditions (like the anvil shoot).  He assisted in establishing the Renfro Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention as well. He was an enthusiastic painter.  Further details on his life, and reminiscences from friends, can be found in the Spring 1998 issue of The Devil’s Box.

 

Scope and Content:

Harrison’s papers and recordings demonstrate his commitment to promoting various music of the South.  Much of the manuscript material was generated through efforts to manage the Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Association, publish The Devil’s Box periodical, and organize the Tennessee Valley and Renfro Valley Old Time Fiddlers Conventions.  Correspondence with musicians, organizers, subscribers, members, publishers, dealers, and friends document Harrison’s various roles in promoting the music, while also illustrating the details required for organizing and maintaining successful festivals.  Judging criteria and contestant lists thoroughly document the contests themselves.  In addition to these materials generated by Harrison, there are materials he compiled for research and publication, such as journal articles, newsletters, and reviews.  They also document efforts by other organizations to promote similar types of music and events.

 

The photographs in Harrison’s collection, taken between 1951 and 1994, especially document the music festivals which he organized.  Harrison contracted photographers to take most of the photos of the conventions, but he took some himself.  A portion of the photos were published repeatedly in various publications (newspapers, magazine articles, newsletters), some of which are included in the periodicals series.  There are number of duplicates among the photos.  The photos are too numerous to identify subjects, and many are undated.  Those that have documentation are indicated by their folder.  Photos that were grouped together in envelopes by Harrison were left in their original groups.

 

While most of the photos document the musicians that played at the festivals, there are some that document the locations, opening anvil shoots, crowds, judges and trophies, and dancing at the festivals.  There are a few of Harrison himself with various celebrities, including Alyssa and Ramona Jones and Buddy Spicher.   

 

The manuscript tape recordings are home recordings of live music, story- or joke-telling, and radio transcriptions.  The compact cassette tapes were presumably created by Harrison and some by friends or colleagues at the events or in small social settings between 1965-1997.  They document otherwise unrecorded moments of spontaneous music and also document the types of music Harrison may have especially enjoyed or thought important to document. Some are very poorly recorded, and most of them are recorded on old tape of poor quality.  These have no preservation reel tapes and remain unlogged until a later date.  Certain tapes that Harrison had in his collection, which were copies of commercially-issued recordings, have been deaccessioned.

 

The commercially produced sound recordings in Harrison's own collection include 78 rpm, 45 rpm, and LP discs (circa 1922-1990) of various sub-genres of country music, including fiddle music and bluegrass. Many of the fiddle LPs are on various specialty or regional labels or were self‑produced by the artists.  Some of these are rather rare.  Most of the cassette tape recordings (1970-1990) are also produced on specialty or regional labels or were self-produced by the artist.  They represent similar genres of music that are among the LPs and include some forms of ethnic music.

 

Many of the newspaper issues and clippings Harrison collected included articles that either documented fiddle music, musical events, and the fiddling conventions in Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia, or articles that he himself had written about the same.  Some of the issues have been kept intact, but the articles from all of his newspapers that were related to music have been photocopied.

 

To date the Center has no other collection that so completely documents the organization and production of music festivals in general.  Nor has it any single, cohesive collection of mixed media that concentrates on the types of music that Harrison promoted.

 

Series Description:

Series I:  Manuscripts

circa 1921-1997

8.25  linear feet  (boxes 1-16)

Personal papers, correspondence, mailing lists (as index cards), photographs, tape recordings, and printer’s copy.

 

Subseries I:  Papers

circa 1921-1993

1.75  linear feet  (boxes 1-4)

 

Address book; articles by various authors (including Harrison); artist folios; auction lists of record collections; award ribbons from TVOTFC; biography manuscripts by various authors (including Harrison); budgets of various old time fiddle associations; certificates; concert tickets; contest rules and regulations for the various festivals; correspondence; directories of organizations and members; festival badges; liner notes of various recordings in draft and published forms; meeting minutes for old-time fiddler associations; music fragments; newsletters of various music interest groups; performance contracts; planning notes for various festivals, associations, and publications; press releases; printer’s copy of festival programs; program materials; questionnaires; recording and music catalogs; reviews of concerts, festivals, and recordings; sketches; song lyrics; statements of purpose for various organizations; subscription lists to The Devil's Box and TVOTFA newsletters; and a telephone directory (Pulaski, 1921). 

 

The subseries is arranged alphabetically by subject.

 

Notes: 

Some of the original pieces of the above materials have been moved to related subseries. Some correspondence and some festival programs and playbills are retained in

the manuscripts to maintain the organization Harrison himself had for his materials.  Programs and playbills can be searched in the CPM databases in the accession field using “Harrison” or “97-050”.  Further information about events can be found among his correspondence.

 

Subseries II:  Correspondence

circa 1962-1987

1.25  linear feet  (boxes 5-7)

 

Correspondence to and from Bill Harrison regarding Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Association and Conventions; Renfro Valley Old Time Fiddlers Association and Conventions; various musical events; historical events; regional folk societies; newsletters and newsletter contents; old time string music; various musicians and personalities; project proposals; and recordings released and traded.

 

The subseries is arranged chronologically. 

 

Subseries III: Subscription Lists

circa 1960-1997

1  linear foot  (boxes 8-10)

 

Three different subscription lists for members of the TVOTFA and/or The Devil’s Box magazine; subscriptions current through March 1975-September 1982, September 1981-June 1982, and June 1994-December 1999;  3" X 5" cards with subscribers arranged alphabetically (any dates on the cards indicate the month through which subscriber had paid).

 

See manuscript papers for other subscription lists.

 

Subseries IV:  Photographs

circa 1951-1994

1  linear foot (boxes 11-12)

 

Prints (varying sizes), slides, contact sheets, and negatives depicting performers, audiences, and judges of fiddle contests and performances; jam sessions; famous country, bluegrass, and old time music personalities; publicity shots; anvil shoots; buckdancing;  awards; Grand Ole Opry; and instruments such as bagpipes, banjos, fiddles, gourd fiddles, guitars, hammer dulcimers, harmonicas, jews harps, mandolins, mountain (Appalachian) dulcimers, spoons, steel guitars, and string basses.

 

Arranged alphabetically by subject, then chronologically.

 

Subseries V: Manuscript Tape Recordings

circa 1965-1997

1.5  linear feet (boxes 13-15)

 

Two (2) reel tapes of fiddlers convention, one a radio commercial; about thirty-five (35) cassette tapes of various live musical performances, including jam sessions, TVOTFA contests, and concerts; interviews, colorful story and joke telling, and talking correspondence tapes. 

 

Arranged alphabetically by subject. 

 

Notes:

The span dates of the tapes reflect when they may have been created, and not the date of the content of the recording.

 

Subseries VI:  Printer’s Copy

circa 1979-1982

1.75  linear feet  (box 16)

 

Printer’s layout copy for two TVOTF Convention flyers (October 1979 and October 1982), one is The Devil’s Box masthead; one page multi-sample art forms; one page mat forms; three full issues of The Devil’s Box  in photo-plate/film printers copy for June 1, 1980; September 1, 1980; and December 1, 1980 (approximately 110 plates).

 

Series II:  Programs and Playbills

circa 1968-1992

.1 linear feet  (“Perform Boxes 1 and 2”)

 

53 performance programs, flyers, playbills; announcements and schedules for old time music festivals, fiddlers conventions, folklife festivals, and bluegrass festivals in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington, DC.

 

These playbills document the places, venues, genres of music, judging criteria, performance categories, and some performers of the festivals that preserve old time, country, and bluegrass music. Housed in playbills and programs by ID number, accessed through the Center’s In Magic DB/text database.

 

Notes: Further programs and playbills are housed among the papers.

 

Series III:  Serials

 

Subseries I:  Newspapers

circa 1967-1976

1.5 linear feet  (box 17)

 

Twenty-five (25) complete issues of original newspapers from Alabama, Idaho, Oklahoma, and Tennessee related to music personalities or events. Some are in the form of a separate insert to larger city papers. 

 

Arranged alphabetically by title and chronologically.

 

Subseries II:  Article Photocopies

circa 1966-1981

.75 linear feet (boxes 18-19)

 

Photocopied articles taken from more than twenty five (25) newspaper titles in Alabama,

Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, South Carolina,  and Tennessee. Original articles were clipped by Harrison or selected from the original newspaper by CPM staff.  Some articles are duplicate copies of originals listed above.

 

Arranged alphabetically by title and chronologically.

 

Subseries III:  Periodicals

Circa 1960-1997

1 linear foot (shelved/boxed in Center)

 

Twenty-seven (27) random issues of twelve different periodical titles related to old time music, country music, bluegrass music, record collecting, fiddle playing, and folk music and traditions. Some shelved in the main reading room, some boxed in secondary serials in the stacks.

 

Accessible through CPM databases, CPM cardex, and James E. Walker Library (MTSU) databases.

 

Series IV:  Commercial Sound Recordings

 

Subseries I: Discs

circa 1922-1990

13  linear feet

 

731 12" 33 1/3 rpm, 320 10" 78 rpm, and 22 7" 45 rpm commercial discs from circa 1922 through the 1980s consisting of fiddling and other folk music from the southeastern United States; commercial country music, including the subgenres of bluegrass and western swing; and some representation of jazz, mainstream popular music, and American ethnic music.

 

Recordings in general can be accessed by label and issue number by Center staff.

 

Subseries II: Commercial Tapes

circa 1970-1990

3 linear feet

 

Fifty-seven (57) compact cassettes consisting of fiddling and other folk music from the southeastern United States; commercial country music, including the subgenres of bluegrass and western swing; and some representation of American ethnic music. Cassettes are issued on various specialty or regional labels or were self‑produced by the artist. 

 

Five (5) 8-track cassette tapes of TVOTF Conventions.

 

Notes: 

A complete list of commercial tapes in the Harrison collection are located in the Harrison accession file, accessible by CPM staff.

 

Series V:  Books

circa 1970-1985

1 linear foot

 

Twenty-five (25) books, catalogs, and festival directories. 

 

Accessible through CPM databases by accession number and James E. Walker Library (MTSU) databases.

 

Collection Contents (Folder/Box List):

SERIES I: MANUSCRIPTS

 

Subseries I: Papers

 

Notes:

Quotes indicate Harrison’s own label for the folder and maintain his original contents.

 

Box #  Folder #  Description

 

1          1          “2nd Annual Buddy Spicher Bluegrass Festival,” December 10, 1976-February 28, 1977

2          “Anvil shoot,” 1966-January 2, 1971

3          “Back copies The Devil’s Box,” August 29, 1967-July 22, 1968

4          Bakersfield, Calif OTFC; Salisbury, Missouri OTFC, July 8-13, 1967

5          Brochures, flyers, and ads: conventions, contests, festivals, artists, May 11, 1968-July 11, 1993

6          Fiddlers of the Tennessee Valley, liner notes, June 1973

7          Frizzell Biography” manuscript, undated

8          “Gene Smith’s materials,” December 1957-February 2, 1968

9          Journal & periodical articles, December 1924-May 1978

10        Library of Congress catalogs and lists, July 1965-April 1973

11        Music fragments, undated

12        National Old Time Fiddlers Association Newsletter, 1970-October 1973

13        Miscellaneous Newsletters, September 1967-April 1973

14        Notes, undated

15        Notes and writings, undated

16        Periodicals, April 1972-Summer 1972

17        Personal business, July 1968-May 1969

18        Photographs, October 1973

19        Pulaski telephone directory, November 1921

20        “Purist file” (primarily correspondence), November 1964-October 1981

21        Recording liner notes, 1983-1994

22        Recordings auction lists, catalogs, directories, reviews, May 1968-October 1972

 

2          1          “Renfro Valley,”  October 5, 1968-March 7, 1972

2          Renfro Valley OTFC,  June 1971-July 1974

3          Renfro Valley/Preservation of American Music Society, May 18, 1970-1972

4          Shenandoah Valley Cut-Ups Fan Club Material, June 1971-January 1972

5          Subscription lists, September 1976

6          Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Association, October 4, 1969

7          Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention [TVOTFC]-- Organization and planning, September 5, 1972-1975

8          TVOTFC--“Program Materials 1975”

9          TVOTFC--Program Material, 1978

10        TVOTFC-- “Program Material, 1979”

11        TVOTFC--Program Material, undated

12        Terrytown letters,” March 18, 1951-September 5, 1968

13        “Uncle Bunt Stephens”/Henry Ford, January 2, 1926-June 26, 1970

14        Uncle Jimmy Thompson gravestone sketches, [1975]

 

3          1          Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddler Convention [TVOTFC]--Award ribbons; badge, 1975-1978

2          TVOTFC--Contestant lists, undated

3          TVOTFC--Contestant lists, undated

4          TVOTFC--Contestant lists, undated

5          TVOTFC--Contestant lists, undated

6          TVOTFC--Contestant lists, undated

7          TVOTFC--Contestant lists, undated

8          TVOTFC--Contestant lists, undated

9          TVOTFC--Contestant lists, undated

10        TVOTFC--Contestant lists, undated

11        TVOTFC--Contestant lists, undated

12        TVOTFC--Contestant lists, undated

13        TVOTFC--Finals, winners, undated

14        TVOTFC--Master list contestants, 1973

15        TVOTFC--Master list contestants, 1975

16        TVOTFC--Master list contestants, 1978

17        TVOTFC--Master list contestants, 1979

 

4          1          Recording Lists, October 1969, undated

2          Renfro Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention--organization and planning, June 1971-July 1974

3          Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Association [TVOTFA], “Newsletter Items,” 1926-April 9, 1970

4          TVOTFA “Misc re TVOTFA Move,” February 13, 1971-October 6, 1979

5          TVOTFC “Delmore Bros.,” March 24, 1963-April 15, 1975

6          TVOTFC “Delmore Bros. Program,” November 21, 1973-October 5, 1974

7          TVOTFC Delmore Bros. program materials, October 1973-August 28, 1974

8          TVOTFC Flyers, advertisements, press, September 25, 1968-October 1977

9          TVOTFC Organization and planning, 1972-1975

 

Subseries II: Correspondence

 

5          1          Correspondence, 1962

2          Correspondence, 1963

3          Correspondence, 1965

4          Correspondence, 1966

5          Correspondence, 1967

6          Correspondence, January-March 1968

7          Correspondence, April-June 1968

9          Correspondence, July-September 1968

8          Correspondence, October-December 1968

10        Correspondence, January-March 1969

11        Correspondence, April-June 1969

12        Correspondence, July-September 1969

13        Correspondence, October-December 1969

14        Correspondence, January-March 1970

15        Correspondence, April-June 1970

 

6          1          Correspondence, July-September 1970

2          Correspondence, October-December 1970

3          Correspondence, January-March 1971

4          Correspondence, April-June 1971

5          Correspondence, July-September 1971

6          Correspondence, October-December 1971

7          Correspondence, January-March 1972

8          Correspondence, April-June 1972

9          Correspondence, July-September 1972

10        Correspondence, October-December 1972

11        Correspondence, 1973

12        Correspondence, 1974

13        Correspondence, 1975

14        Correspondence, January-March 1976

15        Correspondence, July-September 1976

16        Correspondence, October-December 1976

17        Correspondence, January-March 1977

18        Correspondence, April-June 1977

19        Correspondence, July-September 1977

 

7          1          Correspondence, October-December 1977

2          Correspondence, 1978

3          Correspondence, March, 1978 (“Convention Move Questionnaire Answers”)

4          Correspondence, 1979

5          Correspondence, 1981

6          Correspondence, 1982

7          Correspondence, 1985

8          Correspondence, 1986

9          Correspondence, 1987

10        Correspondence, undated

 

Subseries III: Subscription Lists

 

8                      Mailing list on index cards, A-Z

9                      Mailing list on index cards, A-O

10                    Mailing list on index cards, P-Z, A-Z

 

Subseries IV: Photographs

 

Notes:

Entries with asterisk (*) indicate a group of photos from an envelope, file, or other organization by Harrison. Quotes (“ ”) indicate labels or titles used by Harrison himself.  Folders with neither of these features have organization imposed by the archivist.

 

11        1          Delmore brothers, undated

2          Jam session, undated

3          Larry McNeeley at Grand Ole Opry, 1973

4          Miscellaneous, undated

5          Old Time Fiddlers Convention, 1969-1973

6          Old Time Fiddlers Convention, 1969-1978 *

7          Old Time Fiddlers Convention, 1970-1980 *  “1970 Photos”

8          Old Time Fiddlers Convention, 1971  contact sheets

9          Old Time Fiddlers Convention, 1973-1974 *

10        Old Time Fiddlers Convention, 1974, undated  publicity photos

11        Old Time Fiddlers Convention, 1976 *  identified winners, candids

12        Old Time Fiddlers Convention, 1976, undated *  publicity photos

13        Old Time Fiddlers Convention, 1977-1982 *  “Ad copy & pictures”

14        Old Time Fiddlers Convention, 1979 *

15        Old Time Fiddlers Convention, 1979, undated*   slides

16        Old Time Fiddlers Convention, 1980  Athens

17        Old Time Fiddlers Convention, 1980-1982 *

18        Old Time Fiddlers Convention, Grand Ole Opry, publicity photos, [1983-1987]

19        Old Time Fiddlers Convention, undated Anvil shoot, buckdancing

20        Old Time Fiddlers Convention, undated Color prints

21        Old Time Fiddlers Convention, undated *  “Fiddlers R15  F 1-10”

22        Old Time Fiddlers Convention, undated*  “Film neg. from early conv. Norman

            Brown”

23        Old Time Fiddlers Convention, undated *  First fiddle convention

24        Old Time Fiddlers Convention, undated George Wallace

25        Old Time Fiddlers Convention, undated “Mike Wallis Bldg 4500 pkg 248”

26        Old Time Fiddlers Convention, undated *  “Misc. fiddle pix”

27        Old Time Fiddlers Convention, undated  DUPLICATE PHOTOGRAPHS

 

12        1          Old Time Fiddlers Convention, undated

2          Old Time Fiddlers Convention, undated

3          Old Time Fiddlers Convention, undated

4          Old Time Fiddlers Convention, undated

5          Old Time Fiddlers Convention, undated

6          Old Time Fiddlers Convention, undated

7          Old Time Fiddlers Convention, undated

8          Old Time Fiddlers Convention, undated

9          Old Time Fiddlers Convention, undated

10        Old Time Fiddlers Convention, undated DUPLICATE PHOTOGRAPHS

11        Publicity shots, undated

12        Uncle Bunt Stephens, 1951 *

13        “Vassar Clement Pix,” *  1994, undated

 

Subseries V: Manuscript Tape Recordings

 

Cassette tapes: boxes 13 and 14

 

Notes:

For a complete listing of the manuscript tapes, please refer to the audio logs located in the Center’s reading room.

 

Box 13

97-050 A         13 “8th Annual Tenn. Valley Old Time Fidd. Conv. Oct 4-5  1 min. 20 sec.  WJOF - WJMW Athens”  3" reel.  1'20" on 1/4" tape  [Notes:  this tape is NOT logged.]

97-050 B         Jam Session at Buddy Spicher's

97-050 C         Edited Music from TVOTFC

97-050 D         Jam Session with Buddy Spicher and Johnny Tona

97-050 E         Jam Sessions with Vassar Clements, 1972

97-050 F         Johnny Tona Interview

97-050 H         CBS Radio Feature at TVOTFC, 1967

97-050 I          Jam Session with Clyde Hartman and Ken Duffie, 1970s

97-050 J          Howdy Forrester Interview, June 5-6, 1987

97-050 K         Lester Flatt and Bill Monroe Interview, undated

97-050 L         Clyde H. Harman Funeral Service, undated

97-050 M        Ernest Tucker and Ray Rogers, 1968

                        A.P. Crowder, 1970

97-050 N         TVOTF Contest, 1968 & 1970

97-050 Nb       TVOTF Contest, 1970

97-050 R         John Sharp, undated

97-050 S         Vassar Clements at Jerry’s, December 6, 1993

97-050 T         Dick Barret Contest at Weiser, ID, 1970

 

Box 14

97-050 O         TVOTF Contest, 1971

97-050 P         Vassar Clements, Athens, Alabama, March 1, 1997

97-050 Q         Johnny Tona, undated

97-050 U         UMK Singer, undated

97-050 V         Jake Williams: Original Songs, undated

97-050 W        Arthur Smith and Monte Crowder, 1965

97-050 X         Jam Session at Jerry’s, October 4, 1984

97-050 Y         Gene Goforth and Cyril Stinnett, undated

97-050 Z         Tex and Mary Grimsley, June 14, 1989

97-050 AA      Jake Lander’s Birthday with Vassar Clements, August 18, 1996

97-050 BB      Benny Thomason and Vernon Solomon, undated

97-050 CC      Jam Session at Clyde Hartman’s, February 9, 1978

97-050 DD      B. Spicher with violinist, undated

97-050 EE       Johnny Tona, undated

 

 [Notes: The following tapes are NOT logged:]

 

Box 14 (cont.)

97-050 G         “FIDDLERS CONVENTION one 60..and one 30  Carl Swafford”  5" reel. [60" spot; 30" spot on 1/4" tape]

97-050 FF       Clarksville FFUSA Show

97-050 GG      Paisley Haygood Side A:  Live picking and fiddling banjo, guitar, and fiddle

  Side B:  same

97-050 HH      Side A:  Hamper McBee (copy) Cussing, spoken word, singing, acapella

            Side B: H.F. Gypsy’s Lament (recorded LP)

97-050 II         Side A: 2 fiddles, guitar, jazz

            Side B: Live jam session or show

97-050 JJ        Dennis McGlocklin live guitar and fiddle in a living room, unknown female vocalist

“Disco Dancin’ Devil from Nashville”

97-050 KK      Side A:  Benny Martin / Knoxville 1950s fiddle, guitar, bass; “Old Joe Coon” sounds “live,” show or broadcast.

Side B: Howdy’s Birthday live guitar, fiddle, and bass

97-050 LL       Major Franklin live fiddle and guitar [low level recordings]

97-050 MM

97-050 Mmii Roy Acuff Interview Radio Special WSM

 

Notes: There is no box 15.

 

Subseries VI: Printer’s Copy

 

16        TVOTF Convention flyer, printer’s copy, October 1979, October 1982

The Devil’s Box masthead, undated

Multi-sample art forms, undated

Mat forms, undated

Complete issues of The Devil’s Box  in photo-plate / film printers copy,  June 1, 1980;

September 1, 1980;  December 1, 1980 (approximately 110 plates)

 

SERIES III: SERIALS

 

Subseries I: Newspapers

 

Original Issues

 

17        Chouteau Graphic, 1970

Country and Gospel Showman, 1972-1974

Country Music World, undated

Limestone Reporter, 1977

Music City News,1975-1976

Weiser Signal, 1971

“WSM Grand Ole Opry Anniversary Celebration” of the Nashville Tennessean, 1967-1973

 

Subseries II: Article Photocopies

 

18        1          Alabama Courier, July 2, 1931-July 18, 1968

2          Alabama newspapers, October 25, 1967-October 2, 1980

3          Athenian, October 30, 1967-October 18, 1976

4          Athens News Courier, February 10, 1966-October 4, 1981

5          Atlanta Journal and Constitution, September 26, 1971-November 14, 1971

6          Birmingham News, September 5, 1971-October 5, 1978

7          Birmingham Post-Herald, October 21, 1967-October 5, 1981

8          Boston Globe, December 8, 1970

9          Chouteau Graphic, May 14, 1970

10        Country & Gospel Showman, March 29, 1972-May 1974

11        Country Music World, undated

12        Decatur Daily, February 19, 1967-October 1, 1981

13        Florence Times--Tri-Cities Daily, October 1, 1967-April 29, 1973

14        Gadsden Times, March 26, 1978

15        Galax Gazette, June 2, 1971

16        Huntsville Times, February 16, 1967-October 2, 1981

17        Limestone County Newspapers, October 31, 1967-October 11, 1979

18        Music City News, May 1975-May 1976

19        Nashville Banner, October 4, 1968-October 7, 1968

20        Smithville Review, May 25, 1972-June 29, 1972

21        The State, November 23, 1969

 

19        1          Tennessean, October 20, 1967-June 15, 1981

2          Tennessean (Souvenir Edition--The Grand Ole Opry), October 15, 1967-October 11, 1970

3          Tennessean (Souvenir Edition--The Grand Ole Opry), October 10, 1971-October 14, 1973

4          Tennessean (Magazine, Sunday Showcase, Young World), September 21, 1969-June 12, 1975

5          Tennessee newspapers, January 9, 1969-March 30, 1978

6          Unknown sources, February 1967- undated

7          Weiser Signal & Weiser American, June 24, 1971-June 28, 1971

 

Materials Cataloged Separately:

Programs and playbills, periodicals, commercial sound recordings, and books have been cataloged separately and are housed in their appropriate sections of CPM.

 

Arrangement:

Arranged in 5 series: 1. Manuscripts. 2. Programs and Playbills. 3. Serials. 4. Commercial Sound Recordings. 5. Books.

 

Series I, III, and IV have been further arranged in subseries.

 

Photographs are arranged alphabetically by subject, then chronologically. Those that have documentation are indicated by their folder; ones that were grouped together in envelopes by Harrison were left in their original groups. Papers (Subseries I of Manuscripts) is arranged alphabetically by subject. Correspondence (Subseries II of Manuscripts) is arranged chronologically. Audio tapes (Subseries V of Manuscripts) are arranged alphabetically by subject. Newspapers (Subseries I of Serials) are arranged alphabetically by title and chronologically. Photocopies (Subseries II of Serials) are arranged alphabetically by title and chronologically. Recordings in general are arranged by label and issue number.

 

The original arrangement was maintained during processing to as much degree as possible. However, some arrangement schemes were imposed during processing and are noted.

 

Location:

Newspaper articles have been photocopied and placed in the manuscripts collection, full issues in oversize manuscripts.  Periodicals have been dispersed and shelved in the main reading room or

in secondary serials in the stacks.  Manuscript materials and photographs are located in the manuscripts collections, by accession number.  Programs and performance bulletins are in the performance documents collection and listed in that database.  All recordings have been shelved by the sound archivist, except the manuscript tapes, which are shelved with other manuscript collections.  Books, scores, and catalogs are on the shelves and in the main reading room and cataloged in the James E. Walker Library catalog database.

 

Some of the original pieces of the above materials have been moved to related subseries. Some

correspondence and some festival programs and playbills are retained in the manuscripts to maintain the organization Harrison himself had for his materials.  Programs and playbills can be searched in the CPM databases in the accession field using “Harrison” or “97-050”.  Further information about events can be found among his correspondence.

 

Related Materials:

Books

Wolfe, Charles.  The Devil’s Box

 

Periodicals

The Devil’s Box

Fiddler’s Magazine

JEMF Quarterly

Journal of Country Music

Old-Time Herald

Old Time Music

 

Articles

Mendelson, Michael. “A Bibliography of Fiddling in North America,” parts 1-5.  JEMF

Quarterly, vol. 11 nos. 38-40, vol. 12 nos. 41 & 43.

 

Reference

Jahbour, Alan. “Fiddle.”  American Folklore: An Encyclopedia, ed. Jan Harold

Brunvand.

 

Recordings

Library of Congress. “American Fiddle Tunes,” LP AFS L62.

 

Dissertations

Blaustein, Richard. “Traditional Music and Social Change.”

 

Manuscripts Collections

McLean, Francesca.  Research on paper about the music and life of bluegrass mandolin

performer Red Rector.

 

 

 

Processed by David Jellema, September 1998

Revised by Lucinda P. Cockrell, March 2006

Revised by Rachel K. Morris, June 2011