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 Mellow Yellow."
Content types:
Two-dimensional moving image, Performed music, Spoken word, Still image, and Text
Formats:
Analog audiocassette, Open reel tape (unknown material), VHS (including SVHS and VHS-C), Optical disc (Including CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-R, DVD-RW, VCD), Text document, and Photographic print
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.
Content types:
Performed music, Spoken word, Still image, and Text
Formats:
Analog audiocassette, Optical disc (Including CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-R, DVD-RW, VCD), Text document, and Photographic print
The Michael McAlpin Collection consists primarily of print materials used in the production of the PBS television documentary Record Row: the Cradle of Rhythm and Blues. Included are production materials and interview transcripts created during Dr. Portia Maultsby's collaboration on the project as AAAMC director as well as VHS tapes of the rough cut, final broadcast version, and local coverage of the documentary.
Content types:
Two-dimensional moving image, Performed music, Spoken word, and Text
Formats:
VHS (including SVHS and VHS-C) and Text document
Extent:
1.5 linear feet (3 boxes) including 3 videocassettes (VHS)
Collection includes audiocassette recordings of interviews about Ray Charles for Lydon's book Ray Charles : Man and Music (2004), a radio series about Ray Charles based on Lydon's book, complete or partial transcripts for many of the interviews organized loosely into book chapters, interviews with and about other African American musicians, class lectures given by Lydon at Indiana University and related publicity materials, and original music performed by Lydon.
Content types:
Performed music, Spoken word, Still image, and Text
Formats:
Analog audiocassette, Optical disc (Including CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-R, DVD-RW, VCD), Text document, and Photographic print
KTAO-FM was a free-form radio station in Los Gatos, California, that existed from March, 1969, through June, 1974, and operated at 95.3 FM. The KTAO Aircheck Archives comprise audio collages with instruments played in the studio to be used as taped effects; a "jam" session recorded July 29, 1971; and an interview with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans interviewed in Los Gatos by Geoff Alexander and Don Campau, June 9, 1971, at a residence in Los Gatos, California. In addition, the collection includes images of KTAO operators and musicians in 1974; photographs of the 40th anniversary reunion; original Los Gatos business license (1974); several images of counter-culture posters; letter from Gary R. Dahl to Roger Mann.
Content types:
Performed music, Sounds (Other than music & language), Spoken word, Still image, and Text
Formats:
Digital audio file (including MP3, WAV, AIFF, etc.), Photographic print, and Text document
Dave Sichak is a collector and researcher of country music. His collection consists of a lot of materials related to radio broadcasting such as station produced publications - KMA Guide, KWTO Dial, WIBW Round-Up, and WRVA Dialog, periodicals - Radio Varieties and Rural Radio, and yearbook and souvenir booklets - WLS Family Album. The collection also has sound recordings, books, and photographs.
Content types:
Text, Still image, and Performed music
Formats:
Pressed LP disc, Pressed 78rpm disc, Photographic print, and Text document
Extent:
20 linear feet
Repository/Collector:
Georgia State University Special Collections and Archives
The Wayne W. Daniel collection contains manuscript copies of his definitive book on the history of country music in Atlanta, Pickin' on Peachtree, research materials, audio cassette recordings of oral histories, black and white photographs, film posters, event announcement posters, posters of musicians, commercial audio recordings, commercial video recordings, and noncommercial video recordings.
Content types:
Text, Still image, Spoken word, Performed music, and Two-dimensional moving image
Formats:
Pressed LP disc, Pressed 78rpm disc, Pressed 45rpm disc, Optical disc, Analog audiocassette, VHS, Photographic print, Photographic negative, and Text document
Extent:
58 linear feet
Repository/Collector:
Georgia State University Special Collections and Archives
This collection is comprised of audio recordings of programs broadcast by Louisville radio station WHAS. The collection is especially strong in documenting a wide range of state, national, and world political figures and news events during the late 1930s, throughout the 1940s, and into the middle 1950s. Entertainment programs include soap operas, musical variety shows, country music, and sporting events such as the Kentucky Derby.
Content types:
Performed music, Sounds (Other than music & language), and Spoken word