Collections : [Archives of African American Music and Culture]

Archives of African American Music and Culture

Archives of African American Music and Culture

Smith Research Center, Rooms 180-181
2805 East 10th Street
Bloomington, Indiana 47408-2601, United States
Visit Archives of African American Music and Culture
812-855-8547
The Archives of African American Music and Culture (AAAMC) is a repository for materials covering a wide range of African American musical idioms and cultural expressions from the post-World War II era. Highlights include interviews, researcher documentation, and publicity materials featuring Black performers, artists, radio personalities, and music industry executives.

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Karen Shearer Collection, 1935-1996, bulk 1974-1992

53 document cases (22 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 129
Collection consists primarily of interview transcripts, program transcripts, and artist publicity materials used in the production of the Westwood One Radio programs Special Edition, That's Country Music, Rock Chronicles, My Top Ten, and History of Rock 'n Roll. It also contains materials from various specials including programs on Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, and the Rolling Stones.

Ronald C. Lewis Collection, 1986-2020

1 document case (0.21 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 126
The Ronald Lewis collection contains press releases, article clippings, concert flyers, posters, advertisements, sound recordings and video documenting Lewis' career as a musician, record label owner, and producer in Louisville, KY.

Phyl Garland Collection, approximately 1945-2006, bulk 1972-1992

22 document cases (9.24 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 111
The Phyl Garland Collection consists primarily of personal papers, including original typescripts for Garland's columns in Ebony and Stereo Review, and related research and photographs. Also included are 41 original audiocassette recordings of interviews conducted by Garland (except as noted) primarily with various African American musicians, artists, and filmmakers. Topics include African American composers and musicians as well as various genres of music including, but not limited to, jazz, R&B, soul, rock, classical, and blues. Record company publicity materials include publicity photos and press releases for over 900 artists.

Logan H. Westbrooks Collection, 1936-2016

40 document cases (28.7 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 156
The collection of music industry professional Logan H. Westbrooks contains professional and personal papers, photographs, sound recordings, video recordings, digital files, posters, books, memorabilia, artifacts and other material documenting his life and work from the 1930s through the 2010s. Professional papers pertain to his employment at Capitol Records, Mercury Records, CBS Records, CBS International, Soul Train Records, Source Records, and his management firm Ascent Music Inc. Personal papers pertain to his upbringing in Memphis, TN, the Church of God in Christ, lectures at California State University and Indiana University, philanthropic activities, and civic service. Topics include African American music industry executives; record labels; recording industry in United States, Africa, and Jamaica; African American musicians; black churches; rhythm and blues, soul, jazz, and funk music; radio and African American disc jockeys.

Donna Lawrence Collection, 1987-2010, undated

3 document cases (1.05 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 61
Materials documenting audiovisual exhibits produced by Donna Lawrence Productions.

Black Radio : Telling It Like It Was, circa 1920s-1997, bulk 1991-1995

10 document cases (4 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 39
Production materials documenting Smithsonian's thirteen-part program on the role of radio in transforming the African American community in the twentieth century. The program was produced in 1996 by Jacquie Gales Webb for Smithsonian Productions, with assistance from the AAAMC. The collection contains over 400 hours of interviews and historical aircheck tapes in addition to articles, research files, program scripts, and transcripts. The audio interviews feature conversations with over 150 well-known disc jockeys, radio professionals, record company executives, journalists, and scholars. The historical airchecks include station identifications and jingles, radio interviews with prominent Black figures, coverage of historical events, and programs highlighting or influenced by the contributions of Black performers, disc jockeys, and other important persons in radio.

Calloway Collection, 1966-2014

10 document cases (5.11 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 169
This collection documents the careers of the Calloway family including brothers Reggie, Vincent, and Gregory and their mother Gloria Calloway Larson, who variously formed and/or managed the groups Sunchild, Midnight Star, Calloway and Sharp. Included are personal papers, correspondence, business and financial records, tour itineraries, publicity materials, press clippings, programs, photographs, and time-based media in both published and unpublished audio and video formats.

Edith Casteleyn Dutch Gospel Choirs Collection, 1981-2019

3 document cases (2.9 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 98
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.

Roni Sarig Collection, 1984-2007, bulk 2000-2007

2 document cases (0.84 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 148
Interviews with key figures in southern hip hop music and related secondary source materials including articles, press clippings, press releases and photographs.

Portia K. Maultsby Collection, 1981-1986

169 Audiocassettes (analog, stereo) Collection ID: SC 18
Series G, "Music Industry Interviews," consists of transcripts and audiocassettes of interviews primarily conducted by Portia K. Maultsby between 1981-1986 as part of her research on the Black music industry. The remainder of the series in this collection are still in the process of being accessioned and are unavailable for general research and public use.

Mellonee V. Burnim Collection, 1861-1996, bulk 1976-1996

145 Audiocassettes (approximately 135 hours: analog, stereo) Collection ID: SC 7
The collection includes Burnim's dissertation research on African American religious music conducted primarily in Indiana between 1976-1979 with an emphasis on gospel music performance and practice; and post-dissertation research on African and African American religious music conducted between 1980-1996 in the U.S., Cuba, Liberia, and Malawi. Also included is documentation of the 1984 Smithsonian American Folklife Festival and gospel sheet music. The collection was primarily recorded on analog audio formats and includes audiocassettes, open reel tapes, videocassettes, open reel video, slides, sheet music, song texts, and additional documentation.

Teresa Hairston Collection, 1950-2013, bulk 1980-2013

39 document cases (21.6 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 162
This collection documents Dr. Teresa Hairston's work in the gospel music industry from the late 1980s into the early twenty-first century and consists of materials related to the publication of her gospel music magazines Score, Gospel Today, and Gospel Industry Today as well as events and television programs produced by Dr. Hairston. Included are publicity materials, photographs, press kits, magazines, correspondence, business records, and time-based media in both published and unpublished audio and video formats.

Jack Gibson Collection, 1942-2000

19 document cases (12 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 14
Jack "The Rapper" Gibson was a pioneer in Black radio, as well as an innovator, a leader, and a mentor to many in the radio and music industries. His work as a Black radio deejay spanned the early days of Black radio in the 1940s through the Civil Rights Movement, and included stints at WERD-Atlanta, WLOU-Louisville, WMBM-Miami, WCIN-Cincinnati, and WABQ-Cleveland. After retiring from radio in 1961, he became a successful music industry executive working for Motown, Decca, and Stax Records. In 1976, he launched the industry magazine Jack the Rapper, the oldest Black trade publication targeted to radio, and for the next twenty years organized the annual "Jack the Rapper's Family Affair," a Black music convention drawing generations of performers and music industry executives. His professionalism, continuous fight for racial equality and justice, and endearing human qualities made him a legend in the industry. This collection documents his long career in radio and music through personal correspondence, clippings, memorabilia, photographs, publicity materials, airchecks, interviews, lecture materials, and over 500 issues of his trade magazine "Jack the Rapper's Mello Yello."

Luvenia A. George Collection, 1905-2003, bulk 1935-1998

15 document cases (6 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 115
The collection consists of materials related to Smithsonian Institution programs, including the Duke Ellington Youth Project, in addition to gospel sheet music and related research materials from George's personal collection.

Mike Johnson Collection, 1989-2023

1 document case (0.21 Linear Feet) Collection ID: SC 184
This collection consists of books, papers, sheet music, posters, photographs, CDs, and DVDRs documenting the artistic life of Mike Johnson, "Country Music's No. 1 Black Yodeler."

Winona Fletcher Collection, 1939-1987, bulk 1982-1987

3 document cases (1.05 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 2
This collection documents the activities of Dr. Winona Fletcher as Producing Director of the Indiana University Afro-American Arts Institute's 1986 revival of the Federal Theatre Project's 1939 production Prelude to Swing, entitled Prelude to Swing +50.

Gertrude Rivers Robinson Collection, 1938-2012

17 document cases Collection ID: SC 20
The papers of Gertrude Rivers Robinson contain music manuscripts and sketches, correspondence, press clippings, class notes and coursework, lecture materials, audio recordings, photographs, slides, films and videos documenting her life and career as a composer, ethnomusicologist and pedagogue, including her research on the Balinese gamelan tradition.

Marietta Simpson Collection, 1967-2019

22 document cases (9.4 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 168
The collection consists primarily of programs, newspaper and magazine clippings, photographs, scrapbooks, awards, correspondence, memorabilia, posters, clothing, audio recordings and video related to Marietta Simpson's career.

Undine Smith Moore Collection, 1951-1981

1 document case (1 linear foot) Collection ID: SC 102
This collection consists of published and manuscript scores of Moore's music, as well as photographs of Moore and videos containing performances and interviews.

Heather Augustyn Collection, 1944-2018, bulk 1997-2018

3 document cases (1.26 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 172
The collection consists primarily of interviews regarding ska music and musicians conducted by Heather Augustyn. Also included in the collection are interview summaries, research files and ephemera, published books and recordings, and photographic prints and slides.

Denise Dalphond Detroit Techno Collection, 1979-2012

5 document cases (2.26 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 159
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.

William Banfield Collection, 1983-2007

2 document cases (1.42 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 99
This collection consists of manuscript scores of Banfield's music, promotional and ephemeral material relating to Banfield, and recordings and transcripts of interviews that Banfield conducted with a variety of African-American composers as well as recordings of Banfield's radio show, Landscapes in Color.

James Spooner Collection, approximately 2000-2007

4 document cases (2.26 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 154
Collection consists of casting, production, and promotional materials used by James Spooner in the production of his film White Lies, Black Sheep and materials associated with the film Afro-Punk including interview footage, promotional materials, film festival awards, and periodicals in which the film and/or Spooner was highlighted.

The Afro-American in Indiana radio series, 1971-1983

124 open reel tapes Collection ID: SC 165
Audio recordings of taped radio show episodes, primarily from the series The Afro-American in Indiana, but also including the additional programs Reflections in Black and Black Heritage, as well as a radio special and recordings from a NAACP convention. The radio shows, hosted by Fr. Boniface Hardin, featured multiple high-profile guests. The episode topics includes sports, music, education, historiography, slavery, the American Civil War, Reconstruction, segregation, the Indiana Constitution, the United States Constitution, church, religion, the NAACP, WWI, WWII, medicine, black businesses, the Institute of Afro American Studies, prison, labor history, and more.

Stan Lewis Collection of 45 rpm Records, 1965-1985

83 Audio Discs (45 rpm; 7 in.) Collection ID: SC 48
Selection of 45rpm singles issued in the 1960s-1980s on record labels owned by Stan Lewis in Shreveport, Louisiana. Includes rhythm and blues, blues, and gospel music on Jewel Records and Stan's Record Division subsidiary labels Ronn Records, Paula Records, Susie Q Records, and Head.

George Nelson Collection, approximately 1950-1982

98 photographs (black & white ; 8 x 10 in.) Collection ID: SC 89
Collection consists of black and white photographs from the 1950s through the early 1980s related to KYOK in Houston. Including are images documenting the activities of KYOK's deejays in the studio and surrounding communities, particularly in connection with listener contests and station-sponsored events such as dances and the "We Love You" concert. Also included are photographs of KYOK publicity materials and publicity photographs of many of the rhythm and blues artists, jazz, and blues artists featured on the station.

Hot Buttered Soul Lecture Collection, 2014

1 document case Collection ID: SC 127
Collection documenting the AAAMC's 2014 panel discussion and exhibit, Hot Buttered Soul: The Role of Foodways & Musicmaking in Building and Sustaining African American Communities, which explored the intersections between sacred and secular music genres and traditional foodways as signifiers of African American life and culture. Featured panelists include Dr. Psyche Williams-Forson, Dr. Tyron Cooper, Dr. Alisha Lola Jones, and Dr. Mellonee Burnim. Includes audio, video, image, and research files.

DMC DJ Competition Videos, 1987-1999

35 Videocassettes (VHS) Collection ID: SC 10
Video documentation of the first decade of the annual DJ competitions in the United Stated and abroad, hosted by DMC (Disco Mix Club) and Technics. Includes World DJ Championships, World Mixing Championships, USA DJ Championship, and American Mixing Championship Finals.

Lee Bailey Collection, 1990-1998

2 document cases (1.3 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 38
The collection consists primarily of audio tapes of two radio programs produced by Bailey Broadcasting Services: The Hip Hop Countdown & Report (1991-1998) and RadioScope: The Entertainment Magazine of the Air (1990-1996). Press releases for RadioScope broadcasts are also included.

Craig Seymour Collection, 1968-2006

7 document cases (2.94 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 144
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.

Helaine Victoria Press Collection, 1988-1991

1 document case (0.42 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 46
This collection consists of postcards focusing on women of the Harlem Renaissance and women in social protest, along with documentation, correspondence and research pertaining to Helaine Victoria Press.

Patrice Rushen Lectures at Indiana University, 1993-1997, undated

1 document case (0.21 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 68
This collection includes press clippings, publicity materials, photographs, programs, CDs, and audio and video documenting Patrice Rushen's lectures and performance at Indiana University in April 1997.

Charles Connor Collection, circa 1950s-2007, bulk 1985-2007

1 document case (0.42 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 41
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.

John Richbourg Collection, 1993

1 Folder Collection ID: SC 47
Clippings, photographs, and audiocassette copies of airchecks compiled as "Sounds of the Fifties & Sixties" - radio programs as broadcast by well known WLAC deejay John R.

Bobby Jones Collection, 1975-2001

3 document cases (3.3 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 60
The collection consists primarily of awards received by gospel music artist and television host Bobby Jones. Also included in collection are various articles and programs associated with Jones.

Bala Baptiste Collection, 1946-2013

1 document case (0.42 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 138
The collection consists primarily of interviews and articles regarding radio stations and music in New Orleans, including information about the first African American deejays in New Orleans and the Poppa Stoppa radio program.

Extensions of the Tradition concert series, 1994-2017

1 document case (0.21 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 123
Extensions of the Tradition is an annual event featuring a concert of music by black composers with related exhibits and programs, co-sponsored by Indiana University's African American Arts Institute, the AAAMC, and the Jacobs School of Music. The event is documented through program booklets, flyers, photographs, and video and audio recordings.

Reclaiming the Right to Rock : Black Experiences in Rock Music Collection, 2008-2010

46 Video Files (HD QuickTime, 21 hours 45 minutes: sound, color ; 1440 x 1080, 35 MBps, 29.97 fps) Collection ID: SC 151
This collection consists of documentation and one-on-one interviews from the AAAMC's two-day conference on Black rock hosted on the Indiana University-Bloomington campus on November 13-14, 2009. The conference and related activities were open to local and regional musicians, scholars, students, and brought together Black rock musicians from different generations and regions with music critics and scholars to discuss the socio-political history, musical developments, and the future of Black rock.

Arizona Dranes Okeh Records Correspondence, 1926-2004, bulk 1926-1929

1 document case (0.21 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 135
The collection consists primarily of contracts and correspondence between Arizona Dranes and the Consolidated Music Publishing House (owner of the Chicago OKeh Records franchise) from 1926-1929. Contracts for Nov. 15, 1926, include one song not commercially released (and possibly not recorded), "He's Got Better Things for You." Also included are articles about Dranes and this collection by the donor, Malcolm Shaw, and gospel historian Dr. Daniel E. Walker.

Tom Draper Collection, 1970-1998

2 document cases (0.42 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 160
Draper's collection documents the career of an African American music executive and covers his tenures at RCA Records and Warner Bros. Records.

Gayle Wald Collection of Rosetta Tharpe Materials, circa 1930s-1950s

1 document case Collection ID: SC 143
This collection includes clippings, sheet music, and one photograph related to gospel musician Rosetta Tharpe.

James Brown Memorial Tributes, 2006-2008

1 document case Collection ID: SC 32
This collection documents the week surrounding the death of James Brown and the proceeding funeral ceremony. It also consists of documentation highlighting Brown's performance on the Indiana University, Bloomington campus a few months prior to his death.

Jocko Henderson Collection, 1971-2003

1 document case (0.21 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 136
Doug "Jocko" Henderson was a pioneering "rapping" deejay primarily associated with Philadelphia radio station WDAS in the 1970s. Collection primarily documents Henderson's Get Ready company, which published materials to be used in schools to teach American history, spelling, and the dangers of drug abuse using rap lyrics. Also included is material documenting Henderson's bid for a seat in the United States House of Representatives in Pennsylvania. Materials include audiocassettes, teaching manuals, correspondence, photographs, business cards, press clippings, flyers, and other memorabilia.

Blondell Hill Gospel Music Collection, 1916-1964, bulk 1940-1964

1 document case (0.21 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 158
This collection consists of gospel song books and sheet music, song texts, photographs, and other ephemeral material related to Blondell Hill's participation with choirs in Richmond, Indiana, Petoskey, Michigan, and Harbor Springs, Michigan.

John A. Jackson Collection, 1963-2005

1 records cartons (1 linear foot) Collection ID: SC 141
The collection includes 47 audiocassettes and partial transcripts of interviews conducted by Jackson primarily for his book, A House On Fire: The Rise and Fall of Philadelphia Soul, as well as related articles and book drafts.

Deborah Smith Pollard Collection, 1979-2015

7 document cases (7.33 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 80
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.

Craig Werner Interviews Collection, 1997-1998, undated

11 microcassettes Collection ID: SC 137
The collection consists of interviews conducted by Craig Werner with various musicians, including Bobby Womack, Ruth Donahue, and original members of Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Something in the Water : The Sweet Flavor of Dayton Funk, 1980-2004, bulk 1997-1998

1 document case (0.42 linear feet; transcripts and documentation) Collection ID: SC 65
This collection consists primarily of interviews conducted by AAAMC assistant director Stephanie Shonekan and director Portia K. Maultsby for the exhibit, Something in the Water : The Sweet Flavor of Dayton Funk, hosted by the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce, Ohio. The exhibit was organized by NAAMCC curator Michael Sampson and Portia K. Maultsby with consultation by Ricky Vincent and was on display from October 3, 1998 through February through February 1999.

Soul and Funk: The Naptown Sound, 2003-2005

1 document case (0.21 linear feet) Collection ID: SC 113
The collection consists primarily of interviews conducted by AAAMC Project Manager Jason Housley for the 2005-2006 Indiana Historical Society Exhibit, "Soul and Funk: The Naptown Sound," as well as related production materials and photographs.

Robert Marovich Collection, 2007-2013

64 Audiocassettes Collection ID: SC 82
Bob Marovich is a gospel music historian, author, and radio host. This collection consists of one series made up of recordings and transcripts of interviews that Marovich conducted with a variety of gospel music pioneers while writing A City Called Heaven: Chicago and the Birth of Gospel Music. The interviews discuss the musicians' lives and careers, as well as spirituality and the gospel genre as a whole.