Peter Redvers-Lee Blues Collection Finding Aid (Developing Draft)

PETER REDVERS-LEE BLUES INTERVIEWS COLLECTION MSS MUS-3

ARRANGED AND DESCRIBED BY JACOB SCHAUB

MAY-OCTOBER 2013, JUNE-???? 2016

ANNE POTTER WILSON MUSIC LIBRARY BLAIR SCHOOL OF MUSIC VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY

2400 BLAKEMORE AVENUE NASHVILLE, TN 37212

SUMMARY

Size XX linear feet

Geographic Locations Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana

Inclusive Dates 1965-1991

Bulk Dates 1988-1991

Languages English

Summary To do ….

Access Restrictions The collection is open for research use.

Copyright Copyright restrictions may apply.

Stack Locations Anne Potter Wilson Music Library Vault

Related Materials Blurb about the internal online database, once that is complete Digitized masters are housed …. where?

2 MSS MUS-3

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE (AS-YET UNADDRESSED):

SCOPE (DRAFT)

This collection consists of audio interviews with blues musicians gathered by Peter Redvers-Lee, in part in collaboration with others. These were variously conducted either in preparation for articles to be printed in Living Blues magazine or for a then-planned book on Sonny Boy Williamson ((II), d. 1965). The collection also includes transcripts of these interviews and copies of documents and press chiefly related to Sonny Boy Williamson (II) and other blues artists.

SYSTEM OF ARRANGEMENT (DRAFT)

The donor’s original tape numbering has been preserved where known. Tapes found without numbers have been assigned numbers 54-62. Original tape titles have been preserved where deemed logical and correlations between the original tapes and the interview transcriptions have been noted within this document. Multiple versions of the interview transcriptions are extant where interviews were transcribed both by associates of Peter Redvers-Lee in 1988-1991 and by the Anne Potter Wilson Music Library staff beginning in 2013. Differences may exist between these various transcriptions.

The collection has been arranged into two series based on content. The first series has been further arranged into subseries. The divisions are as follows:

Series A: Interviews Subseries 1: Audio Recordings Subseries 2: Transcripts Series B: Research Materials

LC NAME AUTHORITY FILE HEADINGS/LCSH SUBJECT HEADINGS

Redvers-Lee, Peter—Archives Blues musicians—United States—Interviews Williamson, Sonny Boy, -1965 Blues musicians—United States Johnson, Robert, -1938

LC GENRE HEADINGS

3 MSS MUS-3

Interviews (Sound recordings) CONTAINER LIST

SERIES A. INTERVIEWS SUBSERIES 1. AUDIO RECORDINGS Box XXX. Audio Recordings Tape 1 Robert Johnson interviews, [n.d.], [s.l.] 2 Robert Lockwood, Jr., December 16, 1990, phone 3 Robert Lockwood, Jr., October 14, 1989, West Helena, Ark. 4 Lonnie Shields interview, April 21, 1990, Helena, Ark. 5 Troy Turner interview, September 10, 1990, phone 6 Willie Dixon interview, November 4, 1989, [s.l.] 7 Arthur “Guitar” Kelly interview, [n.d.], [s.l.] 8 Tabby Thomas interview, April 9, 1989, Baton Rouge, La. 9 Tabby Thomas interview, April 9, 1989, Baton Rouge, La. 10 Tabby Thomas interview, April 9, 1989, Baton Rouge, La. 11 Silas Hogan interview, April 30, 1989, Baton Rouge, La. 12 Kenny Neal interview, October 14, 1989, Helena, Ark. 13 A. D. Hardesty interview, February 1990, Baton Rouge, La. 14 Gatemouth Moore interview, December 20, 1988, Yazoo City, Miss. 15 Gatemouth Moore interview, December 20, 1988, Yazoo City, Miss. 16 Gatemouth Moore interview, December 20, 1988, Yazoo City, Miss. 17 Gatemouth Moore interview, March 17, 1990, [s.l.] 18 Sam Myers interview, February 2, 1989, Oxford, Miss. 19 Sam Myers interview, February 2, 1989, Oxford, Miss. [This corresponds with the interview article from Living Blues, Mar/April 1989, p. 10- 21] 20 Sterling Plumpp interview, August 1988, [s.l.]

[Tapes 21-22 not extant]

23 Sterling Plumpp interview, August 1988, [s.l.] 24 David “Honey Boy” Edwards interview, March 18, 1988, Chicago, Ill. 25 Johnny Copeland interview, October 4, 1988, phone 26 Johnny Copeland interview, October or December 4, 1988, phone 27 Side A: Johnny Copeland interview, October 17, 1988, phone Side B: Willie Mae Hughes interview, [n.d.], [s.l.] [This corresponds with the interview article from Living Blues, Nov./Dec., 1988, p. 12- 21, p. 10-21] 28 Sonny Boy Williamson interviews, January 18, 1989, Clarksdale, Miss. Interviewees: Patti Johnson, Jim O’Neal, Houston Stackhouse, Jr., Bubba Sullivan, J. C. Morgan 29 Sonny Boy Williamson interviews, January 18, 1989, Clarksdale, Miss. Interviewees: Patti Johnson, Jim O’Neal, Houston Stackhouse, Jr., Bubba Sullivan, J. C. Morgan 30 Mary Ashford interview, April 22, 1989, Tutwiler, Miss. 31 Julia Bonner interview, January 29, 1989, Tutwiler, Miss.

4 MSS MUS-3

32 Sonny Boy Williamson interviews, February 6, 1989, [s.l.] Side A: Morse Grist interview Side B: Sonny Payne interview 33 Jasper Love interview, January 20, 1989, Memphis, Tenn. 34 Jasper Love interview, January 20, 1989, Memphis, Tenn. 35 Jasper Love interview, January 20, 1989, Memphis, Tenn. 36 George Jackson interview, November 10, 1989, phone 37 George Jackson interview, November 10, 1989, phone 38 Ma Bohner interview, June 1989, [s.l.]

Box XXX. Audio Recordings Tape

[Tapes 39-40 not extant]

41 Gatemouth Moore interview, March 17, 1990, [s.l.] 42 Johnny Shines interview, October 14, 1989, West Helena, Ark. [This corresponds with the interview article in Living Blues Sept/Oct., 1992, p. 42-43] 43 George Ball interview, February 1991, phone 44 Pinetop Perkins interview, October 1989, Memphis, Tenn. 45 Pinetop Perkins interview, October 1989, Memphis, Tenn. 46 Pinetop Perkins interview, October 14, 1989, West Helena, Ark. 47 Jessie Mae Hemphill interview, July 2, 1991, [s.l.] 48 Mattie Thurman (Williamson) interview, June 29, 1991, [s.l.] 49 Johnny B. Thomas interview, August 7, 1991, [s.l.] 50 Robert Johnson stuff, [n.d.], Payne Chapel, [s.l.] 51 Mrs. Hill interview, August 7, 1991, [s.l.] 52 Booba Barnes interview, May 8, 1991, [s.l.] 53 Booba Barnes interview, May 8, 1991, [s.l.] [This corresponds with the interview article in Living Blues, Nov./Dec., 1991] 54 Willie Dixon tribute, [n.d.], [s.l.] Side A: Johnny Winter interview Side B: Don Snowden interview [This corresponds with the interview article in Living Blues, July/Aug., 1988, p. 16-25]

55 Willie Foster interview, August 27, 1991, [s.l.] 56 Willie Foster interview, August 27, 1991, [s.l.] 57 Willie Foster interview, August 27, 1991, [s.l.] [This corresponds with the interview article in Living Blues, Nov./Dec., 1992] 58 Wesley Jefferson interview, August 7, 1991, [s.l.] 59 Denise LaSalle interview, November 6, 1991, Jackson, Tenn. 60 Denise LaSalle interview, November 6, 1991, Jackson, Tenn. 61 (minitape) Robert Johnson interviews, [n.d.], [s.l.] 62 (minitape) Junior Wells interview, [n.d.], [s.l.]

SERIES A. INTERVIEWS SUBSERIES 2. AUDIO TRANSCRIPTS Box XXX. Audio Transcripts

5 MSS MUS-3

Folder 1 Tapes 2-3: Robert Lockwood, Jr. 1 computer-printed copy (in 2 parts) [corresponds to the interview article in Living Blues no. 90 Mar/April, p. 33-35] 2 Tape 4: Lonnie Shields 1 typed copy (incomplete) 1 photocopy of typed draft for Portrait liner notes 1 photocopied track listing for Portrait (R72626/92626) 3 Tape 5: Troy Turner 1 computer-printed copy 4 Tape 6: Willie Dixon, Marie Dixon, Tape 6, and transcripts from missing tape(s) 3 additional transcripts found with Tape 6 are from 3 different interviews, for which the respective tape(s) is/are missing. 5 Tape 7: Arthur “Guitar” Kelley 1 computer-printed copy 6 Tapes 8-10: Tabby Thomas 1 computer-printed copy (in 2 parts) 1 handwritten copy on lined paper [corresponds to the interview article in Living Blues May/June 1990, p. 10-15] 7 Tape 11: Silas Hogan 1 typewritten copy (portion) 1 computer printed-copy (remainder) 1 handwritten copy on lined paper 8 Tapes 14-17, 41: Gatemouth Moore 1 promotional release for Saturday Night, Sunday Morning: the Travels of Gatemouth Moore [corresponds to the interview article in Living Blues May/June 1989, p. 9-19] 9 Tapes 28-29: Sonny Boy Interviews 1 computer-printed copy 1 print-out of LIST-SERV email containing brief note about James Cotton and Sonny Boy Williamson 10 Tape 30: Mary Ashford 1 computer-printed copy 11 Tape 31: Julia Bonner 1 computer-printed copy 1 signed contract 12 Tape 32/B: Sonny Payne, and transcript from missing tape 2 computer-printed copies 1 additional transcript found for Sonny Payne interview for which the respective tape(s) is/are missing 13 Tapes 33-35: Jasper Love 1 incomplete computer-printed copy 14 Tapes 36-37: George Jackson 1 typewritten copy + 1 photocopy with written annotations 1 photocopy of “Who is George Jackson? What’s his Music Like?” by Bill Limbaugh from Living Blues Magazine

[Tape 41 transcript with Tapes 14-17]

6 MSS MUS-3

15 Tape 42: Johnny Shines, Tape 42 1 computer-printed copy 1 funeral program 16 Tape 47: Jessie Mae Hemphill 2 computer-printed copies 17 Tape 51: Mrs. Hill 1 computer-printed copy 1 hand-written copy on lined paper 18 Tapes 52-53: Roosevelt “Booba” Barnes 2 computer-printed copies each of Tape 52 Sides A & B 1 computer-printed copy of Tape 53 (Sides A & B) with written corrections 1 print-out of email containing obituary for “Booba” Barnes 19 Tapes 55-57: Willie Foster 1 computer-printed copy of tapes 55-56/A Other: 20 Wilson Music Library 2013 interview transcription guidelines

SERIES B. RESEARCH MATERIALS Box XXX. Research materials Folder 1 Sonny Boy Williamson—Legal/Financial Documents, 1965-1969 (photocopies) 2 Sonny Boy Williamson—Legal/Financial Documents, 1970-1979 (photocopies) 3 Sonny Boy Williamson—Legal/Financial Documents, 1980-1989 (photocopies) 4 Sonny Boy Williamson—Legal/Financial Documents, 1990-1991 (photocopies) 5 Assorted Complete Newsletters/Periodicals 6 Articles on the Sonny Boy Williamson Museum in Helena, Arkansas 7 Articles/liner notes (chiefly photocopies) 8 Articles/liner notes (chiefly photocopies) 9 Article draft on Sonny Boy Williamson by Peter Lee 10 Interview transcripts James Cotton (by T. E. Mattox) Big Jack Reynolds (by John Rockwood) 11 Photographs 12 Miscellaneous articles, discographies, etc.

7 MSS MUS-3