Collections

Materials documenting the period Charles Connor, known as "Little Richard's original drummer," spent on the road with Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Dee Clark, Larry Williams, Chuck Willis, and others. Included are more recent articles, interviews, and audio recordings of Connor and an unpublished book manuscript.

Research on the Motown Record Corp., including photographs, Motown-related videos and television programs, and audio and video interviews with vocalists, instrumentalists, arrangers, songwriters, producers, technical staff, management, and consumers. Interviews include Thomas "Beans" Bowles (saxophonist and first road manager of the Motor Town Revue), Maxwell Powell (image specialist at Motown's Division of Artist Development), Bobby Rogers and Ronald White (vocalists with the Miracles), Sylvia Moy (songwriter), and Michael McLean (audio technician).

The collection consists of articles, clippings, and interviews compiled during research for Seymour's book, Luther: The Life and Longing of Luther Vandross (2004), and subsequent research on topics related to R&B musicians, black music genres, the black gay community and gay musicians. Also included are audiocassettes containing interviews conducted by Seymour with Luther Vandross, various R&B musicians and record company personnel, as well as a large collection of mixtapes and commercial CDs.

This collection consists of commercial gospel music videocassettes, commercial audio recordings, paper documents, schedules, promotional materials, photographs, and other ephemeral material related to Debbie May's career as a music producer.

The Deborah Smith Pollard collection includes more than 200 gospel music magazines and other publications from the 1980s to 2000s. The collection also includes Pollard's gospel music television specials, over 50 interviews she conducted with gospel artists and industry figures, airchecks of Pollard's radio program "Strong Inspirations" and radio programs hosted by other announcers.

A collection of recorded interviews and transcripts, photographs, press clippings, posters, and research materials related to Detroit techno music. The bulk of the collection materials span the years 2007-2011 and include audio and written interviews with notable Detroit techno artists such as Derrick May, Juan Atkins, Carl Craig, Mike Banks, Anthony Shakir. Also included are video footage from Movement Festival and photographs from Dalphond's dissertation research.

Materials documenting audiovisual exhibits produced by Donna Lawrence Productions.

Eddie Gilreath was one of the first African American music industry professionals to hold executive level marketing and sales positions with major record labels including Motown, Warner Bros., Elektra Entertainment, Geffen, and MCA/Universal Distribution, promoting major artists across multiple genres. Included are personal papers and correspondence, marketing reports, press clippings, photographs, certified gold and platinum album plaques, clothing, and time-based media in both published and unpublished audio and video formats.

Includes the personal papers of Edith Casteleyn, founder and director of Dutch community gospel choirs in the Netherlands, as well as scrapbooks, recordings, videos, clippings, programs, publicity materials, and photographs documenting the Soesterberg Gospel Choir, Friendship Gospel Choir, Life Line Gospel Choir, Alive! Gospel Choir, Rainbow Gospel Singers, and other choirs directed by Casteleyn.

This collection spans the active career (1964-) of Evelyn Simpson-Curenton as well as holds materials highlighting the renowned Singing Simpsons, and Evelyn's sister, Joy Simpson. It consists of CDRs, LPs, DVDs, and home-video tapes; along with several concert programs, photographs, personal letters and more.