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MUS 327 - Country Music: Primary sources

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The Roots of Country Music

1927 Bristol Sessions RECORDINGS & ARTISTS
Evening Herald Courier Bristol, Tennessee
Article clipped from Evening Herald Courier
Bristol, Tennessee • Wed, Jul 27, 1927

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Main Library B207

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Subjects: Art, Dance, Film & Television, Landscape Architecture, Music, Photography, Planning (Urban Design, etc.), Theatre Arts

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Leslie lsult@email.arizona.edu

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Country Music 1923 - 1930

"Eck Robertson: Old-Time Texas Fiddler," [Album, recorded 1922 and released 1999, Alexander Street, UA access only]
"The Carter Family 1927 - 1934 Disc C," [Album, JSP Records- remastered in 2007, Music Online, UA access only]
"American Folksongs: Cowboy Ballads," New York Times, January 22, 1928. [Newspaper, Proquest, UA access only]
"Merry Hill Folk Enliven Arkansas," The New York Times, May 18, 1930. [Newspaper, Proquest, UA access only]

Country Music 1945 - 1959

""Two TOP HANDS..." Texas Bill Wesley and his Gretsch "115" Synchromatic Guitar," 1947 [Advertisement, Mountain Broadcast and Prarie Recorder magazine, UNT Digital Library]
"General outdoor: Country music parks grow," 1948. [Article, Billboard magazine, July 31, 1948, Proquest - UA access only]
"STATIONS: Country music success," 1954. Article, Broadcasting, Telecasting magazine, September 27, 1954. Proquest - UA access only]
"Johnny Cash Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous," 1958 [Album produced by Sun Records, Music Online - UA access only]

Country Music 1965 - 1980

Willie Nelson performing with band on stage at Panther Hall [Photograph, Texas State University Libraries]
"American Music, from folk to jazz and pop," 1967 [first 6:45 about country, bluegrass, Nashville, Grand Ole Opry, Tex Ritter, 16mm film, Internet Archive]
"Country Song Roundup" cover featuring Charley Pride, 1974 [Magazine cover, Smithsonian]
"I Wish I Was Crazy Again," 1978 handwritten manuscript of song written by Bob McDill for a Johnny Cash-Waylon Jennings duet [Manuscript, Country Music Hall of Fame]

Country Music 1930 - 1945

"I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart" recorded by Patsy Montana. [Audio recording, Patsy Montana Collection, Internet Archive]
Lucky Lang Original Song Folio Book, 1944. [Song book, Internet Archive]
"WLS Barn Dance Comes to Wauconda," 1935. [Photograph, Internet Archive]
Advertisement, WLS radio. [Billboard magazine, April 14, 1934, ProQuest, UA access only]
"Gene Autry, Singing Western Star To Be Present At 'Helzapopin ,''" Buckeye Valley News & Buckeye Review, October 19, 1939. [Newspaper, Chronicling America]

Country Music 1957 - 1964

"Patsy Cline with Billboard Award," 1957, award for Most Promising Country and Western Female Artist [Photograph, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum]
"Hot Country Singles" and "Hot Country Albums," 1966 [Billboard magazine, February 26, 1966, ProQuest, UA access only]
Grand Ole Opry poster advertising Kitty Wells and Johnnie and Jack, 1959 [Poster, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum]
"Ozark Jubilee" 1957 with guest Brenda Lee 5:43-7:45 [video of television program, May 11, 1957, Internet Archive]

Country Music 1980 -

"Dolly Parton in a Fucshia Suit," [Image, Dolly Parton and the Roots of Country Music Collection, Library of Congress]
"Talent almanac 1984: Top COUNTRY ALBUMS," 1984 [Billboard Magazine, December 24, 1983, Proquest - UA access only]
"The Rogers family is sad to announce that Kenny Rogers passed away last night at 10:25PM at the age of 81. Rogers passed away peacefully at home from natural causes under the care of hospice and surrounded by his family. https://ymlp.com/zbjSX9," March 20, 2020. [Tweet, X.com]
"Country pop: Shania Twain is an MTV-style Nashville diva," 1998 [Review, Chicago Tribune, August 31, 1998, Proquest - UA access only]

Find additional primary sources

Country Music
Images of primary sources related to country music from the Smithsonian Institution, including clothing, song books, photographs, posters, recordings, and more.
Dolly Parton and the Roots of Country Music
Primary sources from the Library of Congress collections, including photographs, album covers, and notated music.
Country Music Hall of Fame Digital Archive
Digitized primary sources from the Country Music Hall of Fame, including photographs, recorded sound, moving images, pamphlets, manuscripts, oral histories, clothing, and more.