Archives Collection

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WILLIAMSON, SONNY BOY HISTORIC MARKER DEDICATION 89-090

RECORDS 90-025

Physical description:

3 audio cassette tapes (TCA‑0120A/B. TCA‑0122)

86 photographs (13 duplicates)

1 folder.

Dates:

May‑June 1990

Provenance:

TC-0122 made by Tim Roberts, Center audio assistant. TCA-0120A/B made by Center audio archivist Bruce Nemerov from original tapes made by WMOT radio. Manuscripts copied from originals. The photographs were taken by Robert Cogswell, coordinator of the Tennessee Folk Arts program, a division of the Tennessee Arts Commission.

Scope and content:

Audio tape cassette of the dedication of a Tennessee Historical Commission marker sponsored by the Jackson-Madison County public library in Jackson, TN, to blues harmonica player and Jackson native Sonny Boy Williamson and copies of the marker text (including bibliographic citations); an invitation to, press release about and program of the dedication; and an article about the dedication from the Jackson (TN) Sun 31 May 1990. 59 contact prints and negatives and 27 5x7 black and white prints (including 13 duplicates) of the dedication.

Also audio tape cassettes of 5 minute feature (TCA-0120A) by the news staff of WMOT and of a 15 minute feature (TCA-0120B) by WMOT program director based on an interview with Center audio archivist Bruce Nemerov concerning the dedication.

The Center had supported the Jackson library in its petition for the marker, and Nemerov represented the Center and spoke at the dedication in Jackson 1 June 1990. He was accompanied by harmonica/guitar blues duo William House and Jack Pearson who performed at the dedication. Examples of music by Williamson and by House/Pearson appear on the third tape.

Location:

Audio visual materials are filed by tape number in the audio visual archives. Manuscripts are filed by accession number with other manuscript groups. The photographs are filed in the subject photograph file under "Blues Music".