Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to the Rock ' n ' Soul Audiovisual History Project Collection

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.0879
Creators:
National Museum of American History (U.S.)
Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum (Memphis, Tennessee)
Daniel, Pete
Less, David
McGovern, Charles
Meehan, John P.
Dates:
1992 and 1999
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
20 Cubic feet
Repository:
In 1990, curators at the National Museum of American History began a project to develop a traveling exhibition about American music, and in the course of research, curators repeatedly returned to the Mississippi Delta area and Memphis, Tennessee to conduct interviews. A group in Memphis organized to raise the funds to complete the research, to acquire objects and artifacts, and the project ultimately became the Smithsonian-affiliated Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum, which opened in 2000 at 191 Beale Street.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The collection consists of oral and video history interviews conducted by curators at the National Museum of American History with musicians, recording executives, disc jockeys, and others involved with the development of rock'n'soul music. Complete transcripts of all of the interviews exist.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged in four series.
Series 1, Original Interviews
Series 2, Reference Copies
Subseries 1: Umatic Videos
Subseries 2: Reference DVDs
Series 3: Audio Cassettes
Series 4: Transcripts

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
In 1990, National Museum of American History curators Dr. Pete Daniel and Dr. Charles McGovern, began conducting research with the intention of creating a traveling exhibit about "American music." Their investigations led them to the Mississippi delta and ultimately to Memphis Tennessee, which had developed as a crossroads where people and musical traditions met beginning in the 1930s. Based on their discoveries they refined their scope in order to focus on the music that grew out of the traditions that met and mixed in Memphis. They weren't able to secure funding for the originally proposed exhibit, but instead partnered with the Memphis Rock'n'Soul Museum to develop the exhibit Rock'n'Soul: Social Crossroads. The museum and exhibit opened in 2000 and explores the influential musical form that has its roots in Memphis.
Much of the basic research for the exhibit as well as the production elements for the companion radio series, "Memphis: Cradle of Rock'n'Soul" came from oral and video history interviews conducted with musicians, record producers, radio disc jockeys and others involved with the development and popularization of rock'n'soul during 1992 and 1999. Daniel and McGovern partnered with John Meehan of Smithsonian Productions to create high-quality, informative interview tapes. The Rock'n'Soul Video History Collection is comprised of these unedited interviews.

Administration

Author
Sakiko Takahashi and Wendy Shay
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Made at the National Museum of American History for the Smithsonian-affiliated Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum in 1992 and 1999.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Sakiko Takahashi, 2001,supervised by Wendy Shay, audiovisual archivist in August 2006. Revised by Wendy Shay, audiovisual archivist, August 2016.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Only refrence DVDs and digital reference copies in the Smithsonian Institution's Digital Asset Management System (DAMS) may be used. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Preferred Citation
Rock 'n' Soul Videohistory Collection, 1990-1999, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Soul musicians Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Soul music Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rockabilly music Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rock musicians Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rock music -- Interviews Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rock music Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Memphis (Tenn.) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Video recordings -- 1990-2000 Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interviews -- 1990-2000 Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Oral history -- 1990-2000 Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Audio cassettes -- 1990-2000 Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Transcripts Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Audiovisual materials Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Jackson, Cordell, 1923- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Gordon, Willie Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Gist, Morse Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ford, Fred Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Fontana, D.J., 1954- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dickinson, Jim, 1941- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Burlison, Paul Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Blackwood, James, 1919-2002 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Berger, Bettye Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Anderson, Clara Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Presley, Elvis, 1935-1977 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Stax Records Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Yelvington, Malcolm, 1918-2001 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Withers, Ernest Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sun Records Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Stewart, Jim Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Thomas, Rufus, 1917- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Talley, Bob Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Riley, Billy Lee, 1933- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rich, Charlie, 1932-1995 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sammons, George Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Roll, Bobby Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Novarese, John, 1923-1996 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Perkins, Carl Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Phillips, Sam, 1923- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Porter, David, 1941- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Moore, Scotty, 1931- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Nelson, Ford Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Newborn, Calvin Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mitchell, Willie, 1928- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kesler, Stan Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lansky, Bernard Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Manuel, Bobby, 1945- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Archives Center, National Museum of American History
P.O. Box 37012
Suite 1100, MRC 601
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
archivescenter@si.edu