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Manuscript Collection


THE CENTER FOR POPULAR MUSIC

MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY, MURFREESBORO, TN

 

EVERETT CORBIN COLLECTION                                                                                 09-011

            PAPERS, PHOTOGRAPHS AND SOUND RECORDINGS                               10-033

 

Creator:

Corbin, Everett J.

 

Physical Description:

12.72  linear feet of manuscripts, including nearly 1000 photographs

 3 trade catalogs, 18 rare books, 5 reference books, 16 pieces of sheet music, 21 performance documents and 12 artifacts.

[The collection also includes over 400 serials, about 900 sound recordings and 260 video recordings.  Of the sound recordings, a portion are of Mr. Corbin’s interviews with country artists and work with Vernon Oxford.  These items are to be reviewed and cataloged by Center staff as of April 2011.]

 

Dates:

1948 – 2011

 

RESTRICTIONS:

All materials in this collection are subject to standard national and international copyright laws.  Center staff are able to assist with copyright questions for this material.

           

Provenance and Acquisition Information:

This collection was donated to the Center by Mr. Everett Corbin of Murfreesboro, Tennessee in November 2009 and February and March of 2011.

 

Subjects/Index Terms:

Subjects:

Old-time music

Country music

Popular music--Writing and publishing.

 

Names:

Corbin, Everett J.

Oxford, Vernon

 

Occupations:

Singer-songwriter

Journalist

 

Agency History/Biographical Sketch:

Everett Corbin, originally from Hampton, South Carolina, was a prolific songwriter employed as a journalist from 1961 to 1980.  He started his career at the Columbia Gazette in South Carolina and the Lake City Reporter in Florida.  In 1965, Mr. Corbin moved to the Nashville area to pursue a career as a country music songwriter.  Finding little success, he took work again as a journalist, writing for both Music City News and the Donelson News Diary.  He interviewed Roy Acuff, Ernest Tubb, Jimmy Skinner, and others at the height of their popularity.  He also conducted Dolly Parton’s first major interview for a country music publication.  He served as editor of Music City News in 1966 and 1967, and for longer at the News Diary.  In 1980, Mr. Corbin published Storm Over Nashville: A Case Against Modern Country Music, which chronicles the battle between “traditionalist-purists” and “modern” country music groups during the 1970s.  Since then, he has continued to write informally and acted as a songwriter, co-producer and promoter for traditional country artist Vernon Oxford, becoming especially active in this capacity from 2003 to 2008. 

 

 

Scope and Content:

This collection of papers contains nearly 2 linear feet of correspondence with country music artists, labels, some politicians, as well as numerous reader responses to his editorial pieces.  Correspondence is arranged by date. Additionally, the collection consists of 2.3 linear feet of Mr. Corbin’s written work in the forms of newspaper clippings, copies and drafts.  There are .83 linear feet of material related to Corbin’s work with Vernon Oxford.   Of considerable interest are 2.085 l.f. of subject files containing press kits, photos, newspaper clippings and other information concentrated largely on “traditionalist” country and hillbilly performers, with some material about “modern” country performers and music, gospel and pop stars, actors, politicians and country music institutions. 4 linear feet of handwritten “original” songs and poems make up the largest portion.  They are mostly in notebooks and undated, and so not arranged. A small portion of these papers is comprised of biographical materials, documents and personal mementos. 

 

Series Description:

Personal/Biographical:  Materials related to Mr. Corbin’s education and career, articles written about him and his work, photos and short autobiographical pieces.  

 

Correspondence:  Rejections of Mr. Corbin’s songs are dispersed throughout this series, with higher concentrations in the 1950s and 1960s.  As a Nashville-area journalist from 1965 to 1980, Mr. Corbin received a number of thank you letters from country music artists for his write-ups on their work.  From 1978 to 1980, Storm Over Nashville dominates this series:  his research on the Jimmie Rodgers Stamp, letters to and from publishers and requests for copies of it.  Vernon Oxford also appears in 1978-1980, but a greater concentration of material about him is located in the 2000’s. 

 

Published Manuscripts:  Clippings of articles, 1961 to 1980.  Drafts of Storm Over Nashville and printed newspaper articles.  As an editor, Mr. Corbin mostly wrote opinion pieces in weekly columns like “Viewpoint,” “The Nashville Beat” and “This We Believe.”  Topics range from the country music industry and artists to current issues.  A fiscal and social conservative, Mr. Corbin discussed everything from the Civil Rights Movement to the existence of life on other planets. 

 

Self-Published Manuscripts:  The bulk of the material is made up of print-outs of mass e-mails and internet postings from the 2000’s.  The web has allowed Mr. Corbin to editorialize outside of a formal publication.  Topics range from the lawsuit over the estate of Eddy Arnold and his continued championship of old-time country music to current topics like September 11th, Hurricane Katrina, the election of President Obama and the 2008 economic recession. 

 

Unpublished Manuscripts: Drafts of unpublished books, articles, poems, short stories, and a comic strip.  See description below for items.

 

Vernon Oxford:  This series includes a group of playlists primarily from 2000-2003, tracking when Oxford’s songs were played, mostly on European radio.  Journal entries about Oxford, contracts, photos, publicity and reviews of his music are also included. 

 

Scrapbooks:  One on Vernon Oxford and a second on Dick Flood.

 

Subject Files:  Photographs, press kits and newspaper clippings pertaining to specific performers and institutions.  The bulk of the series has been arranged alphabetically by performer.  A last box includes various other subjects, including his research on the Jimmie Rodgers stamp for Storm Over Nashville.  Many of these materials were requested from or sent by promoters for Mr. Corbin to use in writing about them for his publications.

 

“Old Original Songs”:  Mr. Corbin’s ideas for songs, single lines, lyrics and hand-written sheet music make up this series.  Most are in notebooks. 

 

 

Collection Contents (Folder/Box List): (Titles in quotes are Mr. Corbin’s.)

Personal/Biographical, Box 1 

Correspondence, Boxes 2-6

Published Manuscripts, Boxes 7-10

Self-published Manuscripts, Box 11

Unpublished Manuscripts, Boxes 12-13

Vernon Oxford, Boxes 14-15

Scrapbooks, 16

Subject Files, Boxes 17-21

“Old Original Songs,” Boxes 22-25

 

 

Box #  Folder #          Description

Box 1              Personal/Biographical

Folder 1          High School & College

1949 Talent Show Program

                                                1949 Draft of Short Story “Pirates Under Coastal Gale”

                                    1949 “Cardinal” Varnville School Paper                                          

I Want A Word: A Word Manual and Exercise Book

                                                Published letter to “Cowboy Songs”

Commencement Programs:

1951 Varnville High School

1959 University of South Carolina

                                                Copies of Diplomas

Folder 2          Photos

                                                Images of Mr. Corbin, 1950 - 2010

 

Folder 3          Mementos, Employment and Awards

                                                Tickets, Press Passes, Business Cards, Autographs

                                                Storm Over Nashville book contract

                                                Employment Documents

                                                Laminated biographical note

                                                Awards

                                               

            Folder 4          “Articles About Everett”

                                   

Folder 5          Storm Over Nashville Reviews & Publicity, 1980-1981

 

Folder 6          Short Autobiographical Writings

                                    “What It’s Like To Be Valedictorian of Your Class”

                                    “From Newspaper Editor to Janitor”

                                    “Did I Tell You About My Day With Dolly Parton?”

                                    “The Songwriter’s Dilemma”

                                    Untitled – “I have often wanted to write a book about country . . .”

                                    “The Makings of a Newspaperman”

                                    “Everett and Juanita Corbin (and children)”

“Corbin Makes New Donation to Center for Popular Music at MTSU”

 

Folder 7          “The Monthly Digest of the Murfreesboro Worldwide Church of God”

 

           

Box 2              Correspondence

            Folder 1          1948-1959

            Folder 2          1960-1967

            Folder 3          1968

            Folder 4          1969

            Folder 5          1970-1974

            Folder 6          1975

 

Box 3              Correspondence

            Folder 1          1976

            Folder 2          1977

            Folder 3          1978

            Folder 4          January – May 1979

            Folder 5          June – December 1979

            Folder 6          Undated (ca. 1960’s – 1970’s)

 

 

Box 4              Correspondence

            Folder 1          January – August 1980

            Folder 2          September – October 1980

            Folder 3          November – December 1980

            Folder 4          January – May 1981

            Folder 5          June – December 1981

            Folder 6          1982-1984

 

Box 5              Correspondence

            Folder 1          1985-1989

            Folder 2          1990-1999

            Folder 3          2000-2004

            Folder 4          2005-2006

            Folder 5          2007

            Folder 6          January – June 2008

 

Box 6              Correspondence

            Folder 1          July – December 2008

 

            Folder 2          2009-2010

            Folder 3          Undated (ca. 2000’s)

 

Box 7              Published Manuscripts

            Folder 1          Clippings of Editorials & Articles from The Lake City Reporter, 1961 – 64

            Folder 2          Clippings, 1960 – 64

            Folder 3          Assorted Clippings, 1960’s – 1970’s

                                    1948 Pageant of Poetry

 

 

Box 8              Published Manuscripts

            Folder 1          Assorted Clippings, 1960’s – 1980

            Folder 2          “This We Believe,” Clippings, 1970’s

            Folder 3          “This We Believe,” Clippings, 1975-1980

            Folder 4          “This We Believe,” Clippings, 1975-1980

            Folder 5          Assorted Clippings of Articles, 1960’s – 2000’s     

            Folder 6          “Speech I Gave: ‘Lest We Forget,’” 1977

            Folder 7          Drafts of Articles & Editorials

            Folder 8          Copies of Articles

 

 

Box 9              Published Manuscripts

            Folder 1          Sample of Storm Over Nashville

                                    Copy of Ballatine Books’ Rejection Letter

            Item                 Complete Storm Over Nashville Manuscript – copy 1

 

 

Box 10            Published Manuscripts

            Item                 “Original” Storm Over Nashville Manuscript – copy 2

 

 

Box 11            Self-Published Manuscripts

            Folder 1          The Hourglass Newsletter, November 1998 – December 1999

            Folder 2          Web postings, Mass emails, etc., 2000’s

            Folder 3          Web postings, Mass emails, etc., 2000’s

            Folder 4          Web postings, Mass emails, etc., 2000’s

 

 

Box 12            Unpublished Manuscripts

            Folder 1          “Story of How My Mother Was Killed in a Hospital” – The Waiting Room

            Folder 2          Drafts of “Enemy of the People” – 2 copies

            Folder 3          Short Stories:

                                                Untitled – “Slaving Over A Hot Desk”

                                                “No Love Could Hold Him”

                                                “A Wife for Randy”

 

            Folder 4          Children’s Book, “Monkey Business”

            Folder 5          Drafts of opinion pieces, stories, poems, etc.

 

Box 13            Unpublished Manuscripts

            Folder 1          Drawings & Comic Strip Proposal

            Item 1              Sketchbook, art projects

            Item 2              Sketchbook, art projects

            Item 3              Sketchbook, art projects

 

 

Box 14            Vernon Oxford

            Folder 1          Playlists, 2000-2002

            Folder 2          Playlists, January – February 2003

            Folder 3          Playlists, March 2003

            Folder 4          Playlists, April 2003

            Folder 5          Playlists, May – July 2003

            Folder 6          Playlists, August – October 2003

            Folder 7          Playlists, November – December 2003

 

 

Box 15            Vernon Oxford

            Folder 1          Playlists, 2004

            Folder 2          Playlists, 2005-2010

Folder 3          Promotional Materials, 1970’s – 80’s & 2000’s

                                                Biographical sketches

                                                Advertisements

                                                Articles

            Folder 4          Donelson News Diary, 1970’s & 1980

                                                Corbin articles, Advertisements & Photos

            Folder 5          Reviews & Articles (Not by Corbin)

            Folder 6          Songs by Corbin & BMI

            Folder 7          Photos

            Folder 8          Vernon – Other Items

                                                Corbin’s Journal, 1977-1979

                                                Contracts

                                                Album Covers

 

Box 16            Scrapbooks

            Item 1              Vernon Oxford

            Item 2              Dick Flood

 

 

Box 17            Research - Subject Files

            Folder 1          Acuff, Roy”

            Folder 2          Akeman – Anderson

                                    "Allen, Rex"

                                    "Anderson, Bill," show & Turner, Mary Lou

                                    "Anderson, Lynn & Liz"

            Folder 3          “Arnold, Eddy”

            Folder 4          Atkins – Axton

Autry, Gene"

                                    Axton, Hoyt

 

Folder 5          Bailes – Bryant

                                    Bailes, Walter

Bailey, DeFord

                                    "Bandy, Moe"

                                    Bare, Bobby

                                    "Bear, Gene"

                                    "Bee, Molly"

                                    Bergen, Polly

                                    Bess, Grover (Big Jeff)

                                    Blackman, Jack & Morgan, Misty

                                    "Blackwood"

                                    Blue Denim

                                    "Blue Sky Boys"                                

Bogguss, Suzy                                   

"Boone, Debby"                                 

Boone, Pat                             

Boyd, Bill                                          

Bradley, Owen                                   

Brasfield, Rod           

"Britt, Elton"                                     

"Brown, Jim Edward" & Cornelius, Helen               

"Bruce, Ed"                            

Bryant, Anita                         

            Folder 6          Buffett – Clower

"Buffett, Jimmy"

"Butler, Carl & Pearl"           

Byrd, Billy                 

Campbell, Archie                              

Cannon, Ace                                      

Captain & Tennille                            

"Cargill, Henson"                  

"Carter Family"                                 

"Cash, Johnny"                                  

Cash, Tommy                        

Channing, Carol                                

"Clarke, Roy"                        

Clements, Vassar                   

"Clower, Jerry"          

           

            Folder 7          Compton – Duke of Paducah

"Compton, Ralph"                                         

Conlee, John                          

"Cooper, Wilma Lee"            

"Coulter, Jessi"                                  

"Cox, Billy"                           

"Cramer, Floyd"                                

"Crowell, Rooney"                            

"Dalhart, Vernon"                  

"Daniels, Charlie"                             

"Darrell, Johnny"                   

"Davies, Gail"                        

Davis, Jimmy            

Davis, Mac                            

Dean, Billy                            

Dean, Eddie                                       

"Dean, Jimmy"                                  

"Delaney, Ethel"                                            

Delmore Brothers                              

Miss Del Wood                                 

Denver, John                          

"Dexter, Al"                           

Diamond Rio                                     

"Dickens, Little Jimmy"                               

Douglas, Donna                                 

Draper, Rusty                        

Dudley, Dave                         

Duffey, John              

"Duke of Paducah"                            

 

Box 18            Research - Subject Files

            Folder 1          Eubanks – Great Plains, The

            Folder 2          Haggard – Hardin

            Folder 3          Harding Family, The – Jackson, Wanda

            Folder 4          James – King, Pee Wee

            Folder 5          Kish – Lynn

            Folder 6          “Macon, Uncle Dave”

 

Box 19            Research - Subject Files

            Folder 1          Maddox Brothers – Mitchell

            Folder 2          Monroe – Owen

            Folder 3          Paisley – Powell

            Folder 4          Presley – Prophet

            Folder 5          Randolph – Roe

 

Box 20            Research - Subject Files

            Folder 1          Rogers – Speer Family

            Folder 2          Stanton – Thompson

            Folder 3          Travis, Merle – Vokes

            Folder 4          “Williams, Hank” (Sr.)

            Folder 5          Wagoner – Young

 

Box 21            Research - Subject Files

            Folder 1          “Rodgers, Jimmie” (for book chapter)

            Folder 2          “Grand Ole Opry” and WSM

            Folder 3          Institutions

                                                The Country Music Hall of Fame

                                                Hee-Haw

                                                Music Row

                                                Woodlawn Cemetery

            Folder 4          Politicians

                                                Gary Allen

                                                Bill Boner

                                                Robert Byrd

                                                Billy Carter

                                                Jimmy Carter

                                                Richard Fulton

                                                (And photos of unidentified men)

            Folder 5          Research – Misc.

                                                Photos from 1995 Fan Fair

                                                Bob Everhart articles

Articles about the state of country music

                                                Articles about a series of country music deaths

                                                Unidentified photos

 

Box 22            “Old Original Songs”

                        Loose hand-written and typed songs written by Corbin

 

Boxes 23-25  “Old Original Songs”

                        Mostly undated, notebooks full of songs by Corbin and possibly journal entries

                                               

                       

Materials Cataloged Separately:

Trade Catalogs: 

May 15, 1985 Catalog

“Memories of Elvis” Series RCA Records

Elvis’ RCA Records

 

Souvenir Books:

Elvis Photo Album from RCA Records

The Official Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Souvenir Book, 1978

WSM’s Grand Ole Opry History Picture Book, 1957

Tom T. Hall

 

Rare Books:

Hay, George D. A Story of the Grand Ole Opry. 1945.

Carter, Wilf. The Yodelling Cowboy: Montana Slim from Nova Scotia. 1961.

 

Song Books:

Eddy Arnold’s Sacred Songs

The Elvis Presley Album of Juke Box Favorites, No. 1

Bing Crosby’s Western Song Folio

The Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle Song Folio No. 1

Hank Snow Folio Number 3

Eddy Arnold’s Favorite Songs Number 3

Red Foley’s Cowboy Songs – Mountain Ballads

Hank Williams’ Country Hit Parade

Hank Williams’ Country Music Folio

Hank Williams’ Favorite Songs

Eddy Arnold’s Favorite Songs

Young America Sings

 

Reference:

Walthall, Daddy Bob. The History on Country Music Volume 1. 1978

Rolontz, Robert. How to Get Your Song Recorded. 1963

The Legendary Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Folio, Volumes One & Two. (2 items)

Country Music Association Directory – 2003 and 2004. (2 items)

Eng, Steve. A Satisfied Mind: The Country Music Life of Porter Wagoner. 1992 (replacing copy currently in reference library)

 

Sheet Music:

Acuff, Roy. “Lonesome Joe.” 1953.

Acuff, Roy. “Wonder Is All I Do.” 1951.

Anglin, Jim. “Baby, It’s In the Making.” 1956.

Carlisle, Bill and Lowell Blanchard. “Woman Driver.” 1952.

Carson, Martha. “Counting My Blessings.” 1954.

Endsley, Melvin. “I Ain’t Getting Nowhere With You.” 1957.

Newman, Jimmy. “Cryin’ For A Pastime.” 1955.

Rose, Fred. “Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain.” 1945.

Rose, Fred. “I’m Satisfied With You.” 1954.

Williams, Hank. “If You’ll Be A Baby (To Me).” 1953.

Williams, Hank. “I Ain’t Got Nothing But Time.” 1954.

Williams, Hank. “Are You Walking and A-Talking For The Lord.” 1952.

Williams, Hank. “The Blues Come Around.” 1951.

Williams, Hank and Jimmie Davis. “Bayou Pon Pon.” 1951.

Williams, Hank & Fred Rose.  “I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive,” 1952.

Williams, Hank. “Hey, Good Lookin’,” 1951.

 

Performance Documents:

Grand Ole Opry Program on October 6, 1951

Opryland ’79 Brochure

Opry at the Ryman Program on February 1, 2008

Grand Ole Opry Brochure, 1978

Grand Ole Opry Brochure, 1986

Grand Ole Opry Program, January 1987

Grand Ole Opry Brochure, 1990

Grand Ole Opry Program, February 1994

Grand Ole Opry Brochure, 1998

Grand Ole Opry Mailer, 2000

Grand Ole Opry Program, 2005

Kings of Country Poster, October/November 2008

Nashville Jubilee

Mr. Carl Story Homecoming Day and Show on September 30, 1978

Hadacol Caravan Show

Elvis’ Television Special on December 3, 1968

Showboat Hotel Casino in Atlantic City presents “Elvis: A National Tribute,” January 4-10, 1988

Nashville Jubilee, July – August 1978

6th Annual Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium, October 12-15, 1995

Red-Bordered Opryland Posters, 2

Norsk Country-Treff, July 11-12, 1997

 

Location:

Manuscripts are located with other manuscript materials on the ground floor of the stacks filed by accession number.  Reading room books, serials, trade catalogs, performance documents and sound recordings have been separated from the manuscripts and catalogued in the appropriate InMagic database [in process as of April 2011]. 

 

Related Materials:

Mr. Corbin’s book, Storm Over Nashville: A Case Against Modern Country Music, is available in the Center’s reading room. The Center holds other collections of old-time or traditional country music, such as the Charlie Walker Collection 08-020, and the Niel Bland Collection 98-050. These and other manuscript collections may be searched in the CPM’s InMagic database catalog.

 

 

AMH                April 27, 2011