Hi folks! I’m Olivia Beaudry, the archivist at the Center for Popular Music.
As we prepare for the International Country Music Conference (ICMC), I figured I would take a walk in the stacks and shine a light on some of the country music collections here at the Center for Popular Music. I first attended ICMC in 2014, and over the last ten years, it has been something I look forward to each year. While it is wonderful to learn from each other during presentations and panels and learn about the new scholarship in the field, it is the people that make ICMC so special. My graduate school mentor and MTSU professor, Dr Kristine McCusker, was the one who first told me about ICMC. and at my first ICMC. she was sure to introduce me to folks who have since become dear friends and folks I know I can always send researchers and students to when they want to learn more about their scholarship. This is why I became so invested in the conference and officially became a Conference Committee member in 2022. I want this conference to continue so the next generation can enjoy this community, which Dr. James Akenson created 42 years ago.
Now, back to the collection! Due to our geographic location, it is filled with Middle Tennessee roots and country music. Let’s look at just a sampling in somewhat of a chronological pattern. Of course, this is a highlight reel. Please, as always, search the CPM catalog and ask your local archivist. We always know of things that don’t always pop up in the catalog.
1. David C. Morton Collection
If you are familiar with the name, it’s because Mr. Morton wrote the book on DeFord Bailey, the Harmonica Wizard, and one of the first performers on the Grand Ole Opry. This collection is filled with oral histories where we can hear Bailey talk about music and his life in his own words and even give some impromptu performances.
2. Uncle Dave Macon Collection
A Rutherford County native is still here in the archive. Dr. Michael Doubler wrote the book on his great-grandfather, Uncle Dave Macon, who was another one of the first Grand Ole Opry members. Much of this collection is the research Dr Doubler conducted and collected from the family. If you want to learn anything about Uncle Dave, the Opry at that time, and see his date book from 1947, come check out this collection.
3. Jesse Austin Morris Collection
Jesse Austin Morris wrote his own Western Swing Journal and was very well known in the Western Swing collector and fan worlds. Don’t let the size of this large collection intimidate you because Morris was very well organized, and ephemera and photos related to Western Swing, Bob Wills, and Johnny Wills can be found in these boxes. Fun things like this Bob Wills Playboy Bread bag are just icing on the cake of this collection.
4. Charles K. Wolfe Audio Collection
Charles K. Wolfe attended the very first ICMC and has been a major influence on the conferencee ever since. I am currently processing the massive series of papers in his collection, but his audio tapes of oral histories have been processed and are open for use. There are great interviews with Grandpa Jones, Kirk McGee, and countless others. Search our catalog, and we can get these to you remotely if needed, too!
5. Sonny James Collection
The Sonny James Collection contains everything James and his family ever collected, documenting his Hall of Fame career. There are many unique items in this collection, including James’ wife’s cookbook and fan-created scrapbooks. The collection covers the singer’s entire career from his younger years in the family band right up to a copy of his speech given at his Country Music Hall of Fame induction in 2007. The Sonny James biography is waiting to be written, and this is the collection to do the research on it.
6. George Hamilton IV Collection
George Hamilton is known for his international success, and his archival collection shows this from scripts of his television show on Canadian TV or the tour itineraries of relentless European tours with Hamilton’s own little notes on the margins of how well the show went or if he did not want to return to a certain venue. The posters and programs in this collection are in so many languages that it was sometimes hard to figure out what country the show was in.
7. Glen Thompson Collection of Country Music
Glen Thompson was the president of the Grand Ole Opry Fan Club for many years. He collected most of the well-known Barn Dance materials like WLS Barn Dance, the Wheeling Jamboree, and, of course, the Opry. He also collected some of the members’ newsletters, like Bill Anderson. This collection is a must-see for anyone looking into Barn Dance radio shows and fan club culture.
8. Travis Stimeling Collection
Travis was a dear friend and champion of ICMC and is missed at ICMC each year following their passing. However, because Travis loved archives and knew how important it was to save things, all the oral histories Travis conducted for the award-winning Nashville Cats book are housed here at the CPM. They are open for research, and I am currently working to get them up online in our catalog so anyone, anywhere, can listen to them.
9. Alan L. Mayor Collection
If you’re looking for 1990s and early 2000s photographs of an artist or a number one party, the Alan L. Mayor collection is the place to go. Alan was an independent photographer and worked closely with Music Row Magazine and Country Weekly. His date books and backstage passes tell their own story, too. This collection is still in process due to its massive size, but I am willing to help you find anyone from Ruby Falls to Shania Twain.
There are so many more collections I could list here, but it would go on too long. Please reach out to the CPM if you are interested in looking at any of these or finding something more in our catalog. I love nothing more than to help folks find the thing that proves their thesis or answers all their questions in their research. It’s why I became an archivist!
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-Olivia Beaudry
The views expressed in this blog are the staff member’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Center for Popular Music and Middle Tennessee State University.
