Kentucky Historial Society Family Research Fellowship

Timi and I recently learned that we were awarded a Family Research Fellowship from the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS)  to continue research for our ongoing documentary project about Timi's grandparents and Kentucky Bluegrass musicians Frances and John Reedy!

The KHS Family Research Fellowship will comprise a full, continuous week of research at the KHS Martin F. Schmidt Research Library and Special Collections.  We currently plan to complete our one-week Fellowship residency in Frankfort in Fall 2010, but we might get started earlier this summer if we're able to work it out.  Our research activities will include:

• Conducting supplemental research on the Appalachian region, Northern migration, and/or Bluegrass/Country music at the Kentucky Historical Society Martin F. Schmidt Research Library and Special Collections; 

• Donating supplemental digital media (video, field notes, photos, video, etc.) from the ongoing documentary project to the KHS Research Library and Special Collections as a secondary repository; and

• Crediting the Kentucky Historical Society as a production supporter for the final documentary and related projects. 

Access to the KHS Research Library and Special Collections will serve as a unique opportunity for exploring additional potential recordings and other documentation of the Reedys’ musical career, including performances at Renfro Valley, WHLN in Harlan, and other Kentucky locales. It will also provide contextual and historical information about other musicians who were from Harlan and/or the Reedys’ contemporaries in the musical migration.

The preliminary resources we plan to explore include:

• Bluegrass Music News: Official Publication of the Kentucky Music Educators Association. Bowling Green, KY: Association (Periodical Stacks: No call number available)
• Harlan Mountain Roots. Harlan, Kentucky: Harlan Heritage Seekers, 1986-. (General Stacks Call Number: 976.902 H283r)
• Philliber, William W. & Clyde B. McCoy, Editors, with Harry C. Dillingham. Invisible Minority, Urban Appalachians. 1981.
• Renfro Valley Barn Dance Oral History Project. (Special Collections-Oral History Collection Call Number: 1987OH01)
• Rosenberg, Neil V. Bluegrass: A History. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2005. (General Stacks Call Number: 781.642 R813)
• Sarah Gertrude Knott/John Lair Oral History Project (Special Collections-Oral History Collection Call Number: 1996OH03)
• Wolfe, Charles K. Kentucky Country: Folk and Country Music of Kentucky. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky, 1982. (General Stacks Call Number: 781.7769 W855)

The oral histories and transcripts in the Sarah Gertrude Knott and Renfro Valley collections at KHS will ideally include direct references to the Reedys; however, we also anticipate that they will include other promising leads of musicians, collectors, and historians who have some memory of, connection to, or interest in the Reedy family's musical legacy. Also, any living oral history subjects might be willing to be interviewed again about the Reedys performances at Renfro Valley or elsewhere. The topical books and Kentucky-based periodicals will provide both a local/regional context for the Reedys’ musical career as well as broader thematic connections to national media and pop culture.


Because we plan to donate copies of all materials from the Reedy Collection, this project will contribute to and expand the archival collection at the Martin F. Schmidt Research Library and Special Collections as a secondary repository for access to the Reedy Collection by other scholars.


We are incredibly thankful to the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort for support to spend time researching in Frankfort this fall.  And we also appreciate learning about this and other opportunities through participating in the Community Scholars Program sponsored by KHS and the Kentucky Folklife Program.  We have greatly benefited from these learning communities and treasure our many new friends and colleagues.

Kentucky Folklife Gathering 6/19

Community Scholar Roundtable

Saturday, June 19, 2010

3:00--4:00 p.m.

[Overall Kentucky Folklife Gathering is from 10:00 a.m.--4:00 p.m.]

Timi and I are looking forward to interacting with other "folklorists, community scholars, teachers, folk artists and others interested in cultural documentation" at the upcoming Kentucky Folklife Gathering! 

According to the official press release, "The purpose of the gathering, made possible through a grant awarded by South Arts, is to explore the possibility of a Kentucky folklife association. Hosted by the Kentucky Folklife Program, a partnership of the Kentucky Arts Council (KAC) and the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS), the folklife gathering will give those in attendance an opportunity to share their experiences and discuss upcoming events and programs, enjoy special presentations and explore the KHS history campus."

At 3:00 p.m. "Community scholars will present a narrative stage about utilizing scholar training"... and Timi and I are honored to be among the roundtable participants who will be sharing our experience with the audience.  We have a lot of new and exciting developments to share about our project as well as many lessons we've learned along the way.  

We're also hoping to see some of our old buddies from our Community Scholars class last fall as well as some other friends in the Frankfort area while we're there.  While we can't attend the entire folklife gathering due to other commitments that day, we encourage anyone interested in meeting like-minded community historians and folklorists to check out the full day of activities.  Contact Alisha Martin, folklife specialist, at alisha.martin@ky.gov for more information.

Abra-Da-Camera!

Well it's been a long time coming, but we finally have a new (to us) camera for the documentary!  We are now the proud owners of a used Panasonic AG-DVX100A with only 128 recording hours on it.  What a relief...

Camera shopping has been an incredibly long and tedious process because the original cameras we budgeted and got partial funding for are no longer in our price range.  When we first researched and estimated the cost of our ideal camera options for our KFW and Alternate ROOTS grant proposals, there were several used cameras advertised online that would have been affordable.  But since receiving the funds, their cost has increased and our personal purchasing power has decreased.

We lamented the prospect of giving up HD capability and SD format recording, but ultimately it became clear that we were losing more in waiting to get a good camera.  So we decided to research the camera right below the Panasonic HMC150 and HVX200, and voila!  We discovered that the DVX100A still has a 24P (24 frames progressive) mode for a film look, shoots 16:9, and includes a headphone jack and XLR inputs for microphones.  These were the primary qualities that we were seeking to upgrade in our video equipment, so we feel really good about the choice we made and the price we paid! 

We actually got a great deal when we did a cost comparison of the same or similar models, both used and new, not only because of its low price but also its low usage hours and its excellent condition.  The other great outcome of going with a more modest camera is that we can still purchase some of the key accessories (i.e., shotgun mic, tripod, carrying case) that we originally budgeted.  Plus, we can also pay someone to repair our old MiniDV camera so we can shoot with both cameras and record multiple perspectives of upcoming interviews.  When it seemed like we would never find what we were looking for, we focused on what we really wanted, and it worked out it well in spite of taking longer than we'd planned.

Thanks again to Alternate ROOTS (with help from the Ford Foundation) and the Kentucky Foundation for Women for their Artistic Assistance and Artist Enrichment support!
 
Props also to various informative mentor materials from Anthony Artis: The Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide and his Down & Dirty DV blog.  I mentioned his amazing book and online resources in our first blog post, and they have both been indispensable throughout our ongoing documentary budgeting and planning, especially when researching and selecting our camera and other essential equipment.  His style is extremely approachable and to the point, and he's already saved us a lot of time and money by providing a basic boot camp for DIY documentary production.

David Lundy Oral History

The following interview video with David Lundy is an oral history of his personal and musical background; the history of Lundy Recording Studio; his family's musical talents; and his recollections of Bluegrass musicians Frances and John Reedy who recorded there.

We arrived at the Lundy Recording Studio around 10:00 a.m. on February 4, 2010.  Berea College Sound Archivist Harry Rice was already there as we had invited him to meet Mr. Lundy and participate in the oral history interview. Mr. and Mrs. David and Viola Lundy were very friendly and hospitable and welcomed us into the ground-floor studio in their home.  Tammy shot some footage of the studio and of Harry, Timi, and Mr. and Mrs. Lundy talking before and after the formal interview.

Mr. Lundy shared a fairly detailed history of the Lundy Recording Studio and his family's own musical talents and recording/performing accomplishments.  In addition to his recollections of John and Frances Reedy, Mr. Lundy also pulled a file with a photo of John and most of the invoices from their Lundy recordings.  So he was able to provide exact dates for the LP and three 45's they recorded there.  He also shared several names (and contact information) of potential interview subjects, one of which we already knew of and the rest new leads:

• Charlie Bays (former band member of Brush Creek Grass who recorded with the Reedys)
• Don Frederick (former member of Brush Creek Grass)
• Homer Lee Jackson (Barbourville DJ)
• Ray Hoskins (formerly Laurel Leaf Records in London, Kentucky)
• Dallas Hoskins (son of Ray)

Tammy asked Mr. Lundy about regular studio musicians (other than his family members who regularly play in studio sessions), and he mentioned several additional names; however, some of them were inaudible when Tammy listened the first time (and to the video when she captured it), and we also need to clarify whether they were contemporaries of the Reedys or current session musicians who play at the studio.  This may be as simple as reviewing the video of this part of the interview, but we might also need to follow-up again with Mr. Lundy if it still isn't clear.

It was extremely helpful to have Harry along because of his personal knowledge of the local area as well as his broader expertise in Appalachian music.  Mr. Lundy also seemed very pleased that Harry was there and expressed great interest in learning more about the preservation techniques used at the Berea College Archives.  Their rapport was such that an ongoing relationship or at least interaction seems likely.  Harry expressed interest in participating in future interviews with other folks, so we plan to include him on the project as much as possible.  He's such a great resource!

Mr. Lundy expressed his gratitude and great honor in being included in the project about the Reedy family.  He mentioned John Reedy more than Frances, and he erroneously referenced John as the guitar player in the group (Frances actually played the guitar while John played the harmonica; both sang vocals).  This oversight was minor relative to the valuable information he provided and his genuine interest and enthusiasm in speaking with us.

Tammy promised to send Mr. Lundy a link to the documentary project blog as well as to share a DVD of the oral history interview and a CD of the Reedys' Lundy recordings that have been digitized.

-------------------------------

Lundy Recording Studio Tour 

Visit the Lundy Recording Studio with David and Viola Lundy, Harry Rice, and Timi Reedy and listen to "Somebody Touched Me" and "My Warfare Soon Will Be Ended" performed by Frances and John Reedy and recorded at Lundy Studio.

Alternate ROOTS Artistic Assistance Grant

We are pleased to announce that we were recently awarded another grant on behalf of our current and developing artistic endeavors.  Alternate ROOTS, with support from the Ford Foundation, has partially matched our KFW Artist Enrichment Grant with an Artistic Assistance Grant toward the purchase of a new video camera!

Tambone & Bobby-B Fivin' & Jivin' at the 2009 AM

As I've mentioned previously, Alternate ROOTS is an amazing organization/network of artist-activists in the Southern region.  I was privileged to be nominated for a scholarship by Bobby-B to attend my first Annual Meeting (AM) last year, and this year I plan to nominate Timi because I know she would enjoy the experience as well.  Any affiliation with Alt ROOTS is an honor, and to receive financial support from the organization is a double blessing!  

We are continuing our research as we begin the actual production phase of the documentary.  The Artist Enrichment and Artistic Assistance grants are two of the very few programs that fund support for the purchase of durable equipment, so both of our proposals focused on our immediate need to upgrade our video equipment expenses for conducting interviews and acquiring cutaway and B-roll footage for the ongoing documentary project.

Our current camera is a Sony DCR-HC30 prosumer model that has served us well for the past 6+ years.  Recently however, its touch-screen camera functions have stopped working reliably (and increasingly not at all), which severely limits productivity.  A high-quality camera is absolutely necessary for interviews and footage that will help tell a substantial part of the story.  An additional camera would also enable us to shoot simultaneously with two cameras from different angles.  The sound recorder will also provide another measure of back-up for ensuring that we capture high-quality sound for the interviews.

We researched cameras with the help of knowledgeable friends and colleagues, and our dream camera is the Panasonic AG-HMC150 AVCCAM camcorder, which has multiple recording modes, including a native 24P (24 frames progressive) mode that resembles the look of film, and shoots 16:9 native aspect.  It can produce HD footage quality that is suitable for projection, broadcast, and DVD/TV.  Unlike our current camera, it includes a headphone jack and XLR inputs for higher quality audio monitoringand recording.  It also has uses SD memory cards (rather than mini-DV tapes) as the recording medium, which can be directly uploaded to a computer for editing. The Panasonic AG-HVX200 is a similar, slightly more expensive camera that records on both MiniDV and specialized (and expensive) P2 cards.

Even both of these grants combined will only fund a portion of the total cost for either of these cameras.  So we plan to shop around online for affordable used model and then personally match the remaining funds required to buy the high-quality camera best suited to our needs.  Our search now begins in earnest now that we have significant funds for this specific purpose.  Any potential leads to good deals on these or similar cameras would be greatly appreciated.

Another important component of both the Artistic Assistance and Artist Enrichment grants is demonstrating the equipment's role in our ongoing artistic development.  The Reedy documentary is a much larger project compared to our previous short productions.  Access to better equipment will ensure that this project, as well as all future endeavors, is as high-quality in production value as the content and story already are.  In addition to our personal artistic development and backgrounds, this documentary will also strengthen our collaboration skills in the creation of a collective artistic vision.
 
One of the requirements of this grant is to exhibit work at the next Annual Meeting and the option of critical response from peers and mentors.  So with the existing media we've already collected, we plan to use the new interview footage to edit a short trailer for the documentary-in-progress, which will serve as the final report project for the Artistic Assistance grant as well as a completed project for consideration to be screened at the 2010 Clear Creek Film Festival in September.  Ultimately, the completion of a 5-minute trailer, with feedback from other artists, will help us articulate the vision of the feature-length documentary for other potential funding sources.

We are humbled and grateful for the encouragement and support we have received throughout the documentary process so far.  And special thanks to Alternate ROOTS for the Artistic Assistance grant and for providing a powerful network for Southern artist-activists who are committed to social change, collaboration, and making art wherever they are.

Happy Appy Follow-uppy

As expected, the Appalachian Studies Conference was a weekend of amazing weather, engaging intellectual and spiritual community, free-form fun, and rewarding hard work. We rode down with our old friend Deborah and our new friend Deborah, which was an amusing and confusing conundrum to solve throughout our collective adventure. We even considered calling them by the primary instrument each of them plays: Banjo (Deborah Thompson) and Fiddle (Deborah Payne). They were easy-going, amiable, and intelligent roommates (though Timi and I didn't get to hear them play music during our trip).

Banjo Deborah was working part of the weekend on her presentation, "Performing a Sense of Place: Traditional Music in Eastern Kentucky," which is part of her doctoral dissertation research in the University of Kentucky geography program. She was an excellent model of discipline even as we continued to distract her with chatting, but she was good-natured about our interruptions. So Saturday morning, she went to the public library and I stayed behind at the hotel to gather media materials and work on a rough outline for our presentation. Then that night after an excellent meal and an intense and beautiful theatrical production (keep reading for more about that incredible experience), Timi and I stayed up to finalize it. We came up with our final set of audio and video as well as their order and estimated time that would comprise our 75-minute multi-media presentation the next day at 9:15 a.m.

We didn't really anticipate a large turn-out for our presentation Sunday morning because a large number of people typically depart the conference or skip out on early sessions to sleep in. We had specially requested the less-than-ideal timeslot because there was a chance that I would be  double-booked for the rest of the weekend, but the other opportunity fell through. So we were extremely pleased that 16 people attended altogether (not counting Timi or me), and only a couple of people left early or arrived late. A couple of folks we know and love from Berea College were there as well as both of our musical travel-mates. There were several young people there, including a couple of young women from Barbourville who knew David Lundy.

As we were leaving the presentation, several people came up to Timi and told her how much they enjoyed the presentation and the project she was doing in honor of her relationship with her grandparents. The oral history with Timi's mamaw was charming as ever, and some audio of her papaw really tickled folks. We did well in selecting our media samples and were able to include everything we had planned. We even managed to squeeze in a quick peek at the YouTube video of Bob Dylan singing "Somebody Touched Me"!  The media set-up in the room was excellent and all technical components went smoothly. Thanks to the Tech folks at NGCSU for their attention and assistance; we had one guy help make sure we were set up beforehand, and afterward a woman came in to ask for feedback about how everything went. Kudos for work well done!

One of the main highlights of our weekend was our Saturday night activities with the Deborahs. After the conference events, we rushed to the Backporch Oyster Bar for supper so we could make it to the play by 8:00 p.m. The place was packed and cacophonous with a mix of Appy folks and locals alike. Timi and Deborah P. both ordered salads and coconut shrimp. I got a dozen cold oysters, only my second such delectable foray, which I shared some with Deborah T. who in turn shared some of her divine jumbo scallops and spinach.

We were a little late arriving at the theatre and were worried that the show had already started. When we went inside, the cast was all lined up outside both rear doors preparing to make their entrance. They smiled and waved us quickly through their line so we could sit down before the show began. We found four central seats in a row near in the back as director Robert Gipe finished his introduction of the Harlan County production of Higher Ground, a play written by Jo Carson using stories collected by the community. 

What transpired over the next three hours was an astounding series of skits, storytelling, singing, and soul-searching performed by an incredibly diverse and large cast. There was an astounding mix of race, gender, and age among the more than 50 performers who were excellent as real down-home folks playing real down-home folks. The play highlighted both the strengths of the community and the devastation caused by prescription drugs, natural disasters, and mining accidents. The combination of heavy issues confronted by the hope and resilience of the community was powerful and emotional.

Timi and I recognized three folks from the Eastern Kentucky Social Club in Lynch from our visits there on the Berea College Appalachian Tour, and afterward the whole cast came down into the audience asking everyone what they thought about it and hugging people right and left. Altogether, it was an intense and insightful experience... that inevitably transformed into a pep rally when fans began asking for that evening's basketball score and then chanting "UK! UK! UK!" when they heard we were 30 points ahead.

Other conference highlights included a session on "Engendering Nature, Endangering Mountains: An Ecofeminist Challenge to 'Progress' in Appalachia" that Timi and I attended, which was a dream come true as long-time Appalachian ecofeminists and activists.  Timi also attended a session on "Returning to our Mother," which included a paper by Gurney Norman called "Alienation from the Body: Separation from the Mother." She was incredibly moved by the entire set of presentations in which white men were calling for respect for all people and the earth, but she was especially inspired by Gurney Norman's outright claim to his identity as a "Matriot" of his country and planet.

And we both got weepy when Appalachian musician, scholar, filmmaker, and all-around super-star Jack Wright was honored with the well-deserved Cratis D. Williams/James S. Brown Service Award. Finally, I had a conversation with Jim Webb, WMMT DJ and fellow Berea College alum, about the possibility of doing a show on Frances and John's music, and he just told me to contact him and let him know when we'd like to do it! So we look forward to reporting on the results of this request...

We enjoyed a lovely, and vivaciously curvy, journey home via a different route than we took (in the dark) to get there. Our homeward path included many stops on an eventually successful search for boiled peanuts that we found at an intriguing flea market that straddled both sides of the road and reminded us all of Latin America or, for me, many Sunday afternoons spent with my papaw at similar flea markets throughout Kentucky and surrounding states. We definitely plan to go back when we have more time and a sunny day to enjoy a winding ramble through its many stalls.

We're glad to be home and to have received such positive feedback about our work. We have returned feeling renewed and rewarded with some exciting prospects for the future and fresh energy to tackle the work ahead.

p.s. Thanks to Deborah Thompson for taking and sharing photos of our good time together.

Who We Are... & Who Are You?!

The Reedy documentary project has been such an interesting process throughout every phase so far.  We've been reflecting on the way in which this blog and the activities and long-term goal it documents has impacted not only our lives, but those of others as well.  So we thought it would be appropriate to more formally introduce ourselves to our audience and to give a shout-out to our readers and invite you to engage in a more interactive way.

First, the blog now includes a couple of new stand-alone pages that compile some useful information about the project and ourselves.  The "Blog Pages" list in the left-hand menu pane includes links to additional information About the Filmmakers, a complete outline of our Chronological Blog Archive, a Multi-Media Library of compiled uploads, as well as a link back the main homepage.  We hope these new materials are helpful in navigating the blog and understanding why we're doing this project in the first place.  At some point we will likely create additional pages to compile important information, so please let us know if you have any ideas about how to make the blog the most useful.

And now to the really interesting part...  A month ago on February 1, we installed Google Analytics so that we could collect and view data on who's visiting the blog, from where, how often, how long they stay, what they look at, etc.  It took me a while to install it correctly, but the results of this tool are intriguing and make me regret not having it installed it when we first started this project this past August.  We have yet to receive any external comments from the folks who are reading our posts, but now we know more about you!

In our first month of documenting our site's usage, we've logged in 180 visits from 91 unique visitors from 8 countries (including the U.S.):

1.	United States
2.	United Kingdom
3.	Canada
4.	France
5.	Germany
6.	Netherlands
7.	Sweden
8.	Australia

...and 20 states!  

1.	Kentucky
2.	Texas
3.	Ohio
4.	Maryland
5.	New Jersey
6.	Tennessee
7.	New York
8.	North Carolina
9.	Pennsylvania
10.	California

11.	Georgia
12.	Florida
13.	Illinois
14.	Arkansas
15.	Massachusetts
16.	Delaware
17.	Washington
18.	Indiana
19.	Virginia
20.	Arizona

We would love to know more about you, this eclectic group of people from a wide range of backgrounds and hometowns.  So we welcome comments on our posts as well as more direct contact if we can share important information with one another.

With Analytics, we can also see search terms when people find us through a search engine, and it provides a valuable window to view references that we would not necessarily think of ourselves or as the most likely path.  For example, there have been several visits, both from the U.S. and elsewhere, that have resulted from searches for other artists included on the recent discography of the Reedy's personal collection. [Note: Timi found some more historical photos that we need to scan as well as several additional LP's to be taken to the library.  So we will soon be posting an exciting update to that discography!]

While we did not anticipate the relative relevance of vinyl recordings and their aficionados, we were already aware that this was an important area of inquiry for our project.  Other unexpected and interesting search terms have surprised and sometimes tickled us such as "Bob Dylan live 1961-2000" (per Timi's love of Bob and him singin' her papaw's song).  Whether through direct search queries for our project and related activities or through back-doors and random short-cuts, we are grateful for your interest and the time you have spent here, however you got here!

In addition to search engines, the Analytics tool shows whether someone types our URL directly or whether they access it through a link from a referring site.  Mostly these are my Facebook friends who visit when I post an update, but it also shows other accessing links like the Berea College website and most recently 45rpmrecords.com, where Dan DeClark posted a link and update about our project.  We've already had several visitors thanks to Dan!

Websites like Dan's (see the "Other Valuable Resources" posted in the left-hand menu) have offered another fascinating foray into multiple sub-cultures of scholars, collectors, and enthusiasts of vinyl recordings in general, of particular genres like Bluegrass and Rock-a-Billy, and/or specific geographical landscapes and locales.  The resources, leads, and links that these websites provide have been enormously beneficial to our project, and we are thankful to be acknowledged among contributors to such an important and unique knowledge base.

We are also amazed and humbled by the way in which the blog and documentary project have helped establish a more mainstream knowledge base about the Reedys.  When we first began formally researching and working on our fellowship proposal a year ago, there were only a few references to either Frances Reedy or John Reedy, and most of them refer to him.  

Some of those resources have provided important summaries and leads, such as Eugene Chadbourne's All Music Guide article on John, which he charmingly begins by describing him as "A singer with a mug like a movie star..."  This article also repeats the error about Frances and John's familial relationship, but otherwise it's an excellent account that was also pretty much the definitive and oft-syndicated source of online information about them.

A year later, we have more than just a month's worth of empirical evidence from Google Analytics that we are reaching people and that our work and this story matter.  Any search of John and Frances Reedy and their music will now include our blog among the first page of results.  This technological outlet and achievement allows Frances and John to speak for themselves in a new way, beyond their vinyl recordings, beyond their home recordings, and even beyond time.

We hope that you, our reader, listeners, watchers, stay tuned to the ever-unfolding story and process of "Remembering the Reedys."  But most of all, we hope to hear from you, to learn from you, and to know... How the heck are ya?!

Appalachian Studies Conference Presentation 3/21

33rd Annual Appalachian Studies Conference

"Remembering the Reedys:
Appalachian Music, Migration & Memory"
Multi-Media Presentation
(Tammy Clemons & Timi Reedy)
Concurrent Session 9: Sunday, March 21
9:15--10:30 a.m. (Location TBC)

Timi and I are really looking forward to our multi-media presentation at the upcoming Appalachian Studies Conference in Dahlonega, Georgia next month.  It will be exciting to share musical excerpts and footage from our documentary-in-progress about the musical and familial legacy of Frances and John Reedy and to receive feedback from other Appalachian scholars.

The Appalachian Studies Conference is one of my all-time favorite "academic" gatherings precisely because it is not a stuffy crowd of self-important elitists.  Appalachian Studies is a serious interdisciplinary area of study, but the very nature of the subject matter and the inevitable social, economic, and environmental implications of its inquiry make it a unique intellectual and activist community.  It is truly one of the coolest collection of folks for any reason, and it's a veritable "who's who" of well-known Appalachian authors, activists, artists, and icons.

I attended the conference the past three years (and presented twice) when I worked for Berea College.  The first time I went, I was overcome by such a strong feeling of homecoming, of belonging, that I knew I would try to come back every year.  This year, I knew that we had a great project to share, but we had to apply for scholarships to attend since my job ended.  We just found out today that our registration scholarships were approved!

We're planning to carpool and room with our long-time super-fun buddy, previous short-term roomie, accomplished musician/scholar, and fellow Fellow Deborah Thompson.  So our conference plans are coming together as March draws closer.  We've been working on several projects as follow-up to our fellowship and in preparation for this presentation that will provide some new audio and video material since our first public presentation.  Some of these projects are near completion and will soon be posted for perusal, but there is still much to be done before the conference.

Discography of Reedy Personal Collection (Vinyl)

Among our ongoing archive projects is a discography of the music collected and kept by Frances Reedy.  This collection of music by other artists is substantial, with over 100 vinyl recordings as well as a large quantity of cassette tapes that we are still gathering.  The discography below lists all of the vinyl LP's and 45's in alphabetical order by first name of the artist, all of which will be archived at Berea College as part of our Appalachian Sound Archives Fellowship this past fall.

First, there are a couple of important notes about the discography of recordings collected by Frances.  One recording by Robert Kolan credits John Reedy with playing the harmonica on a track called "Vietnam" and accompaniment on the Side-2 cover of "Somebody Touched Me."  There are also covers included on LP's by L.B. Siler and the Round Mountain Boys, Bill Monroe (erroneously crediting him as composer), Bluegrass Meditations, and Roy Acuff.  The discography also includes a 45 from the mysterious and rare B-Atlas label that we can't find much information about.  And perhaps the most interesting thing about this discography is that it is not all Bluegrass music...

If anyone knows the year that any of these recordings were made, please let us know!  Also, please contact us if you are interested in getting a Word or Excel version of this table so it can be sorted by label, title, format, location, etc.  And soon we'll be posting a really great oral history video with David Lundy, founder/owner of Lundy Recording Studio in Barbourville, Kentucky.

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Discography of Reedy Personal Vinyl Collection

ARTIST REFERENCE	LABEL	SONG TITLE A SIDE / SONG TITLE B SIDE / or ALBUM TITLE	FORMAT	CITY, STATE	YEAR
Ada Larck	Jalyn 17933	There's Gonna Be Heartbreak / Will I Ever Learn	45	Dayton, OH	?
Arlie Petree	Rays of Hope CP-4699	You've Got to Have Heaven / Waiting Outside	45		?
Big Fred & the Ovations	Lemco 10410	Everybody Sing / I'm Gonna Love You	45	Lexington, KY	?
Bill Monroe	MCA 426	Road of Life	LP		?
Blue Grass Gospel Aires	Gospel Gems 5945	Family Bible	LP	Vandalia, OH	?
Blue Mountain Singers	B-Atlas 700	Climbing the Stairway to Heaven / No, No, Sinner He Won't Let you In // Andrew Jackson Fearless Fighter / I'm a Lovesick Stranger	EP		?
Bluegrass Drifters	Jewel 35151	Bluegrass Covered with Snow	LP	Cincinnati, OH	?
Bluegrass Meditations	Bradley's Barn NRP 5412	Were You There?	LP	Nashville, TN	?
Bluegrass Meditations	Bradley's Barn	Remember the Cross	LP	Nashville, TN	?
Bob Withers	Nugget 31532	Don't Fiddle With My Bow / That's Me	45		?
Bob Withers	Nugget 35672	Going Back to Nashville / You're My Favorite Song	45	Goodlettsville, TN	?
Byard Ray & Obray Ramsey	ABC 690	White Lightnin'	LP		?
C.A. Williams	Trail Records 1983	Magnificent Jesus	LP	London, KY	?
Calvary Duet Les & Joe	Ark 10812	Travelin' On / God is Everywhere // Singing in the Promised Land / House of Gold	EP	Cincinnati, OH	?
Calvary Duet Les & Joe	Ark 10810	Great Gilded Hall / Forgive Me Lord // Soul Winner for Jesus / Born Again	45	Cincinnati, OH	?
Calvary Trio	REM 5410	Calvary Trio Sings and Plays Your Favorite Gospel Tunes	LP	Lexington, KY	?
Carl Story & His Ramblin' Mountaineers	Mercury 20323	Family Reunion	LP		?
Charlie Monroe & His Kentucky Partners	RCA	Who's Calling You Sweetheart Tonight	LP		?
Chet Allen & the Lee Brothers	Jalyn 204	London Prison / Trail of Lonesome Pine	45	Dayton, OH	?
Chubby Wise & the Rainbow Ranch Boys	Starday 154	Self-Titled	LP		?
Chuck and Lottie Sivley	Old Timer 806	Have You Ever Been Confused / My World Ended Today	45		?
Country Gospel-Aires	Ark 209	Battle for Heaven / No Teardrops in Heaven / I Just Dropped By // I'll Be Happy in Heaven / God's Love Made Me Whole / We're Building a Mansion	EP	Cincinnati, OH	?
Country Gospel-Aires	Sulkie 102	They Hung My Lord / Climbing the Stairway to Heaven	45		?
Country Gospel-Aires	Ark 8695	Road to Glory / House of God / He Took Your Place // Swing Low Sweet Chariot / Give Me Flowers While I Live / Voice of My Savior	EP	Cincinnati, OH	?
Cumberland River Boys	Rich-a-Tone 8072	Under the Pale Moonlight / Flowers from the Fields of Alabama	45	Johnson City, TN	?
Curly Coldiron & the Circle C Boys	Sullivan U5992	Come on Get Up / Two Many Chiefs and Not Enough Indians	45	Serona, WI	?
Dane Woolum & the Laurel County Partners	Ark 11295	The Great Beyond / Holding On // Childhood Memories / Life Eternal	EP	Cincinnati, OH	?
Dave Dudley	Golden Ring 3030	Cowboy Boots / I Think I'll Cheat a Little Tonight	45	Minneapolis, MN	?
Dave Woolum and the Laurel County Partners	Pine Tree Records 845	Done Gone and Done It	LP	Hamilton, OH	?
Dayton Harvesters Quartet	Self 781	Journey of No Return / I Witness for Jesus	45		?
Delores Bond	Jalyn 20077	You'd Better Stop and Think About Me / Who Do You Think You're Fooling	45	Dayton, OH	?
Earl and Betty Christian	E and B 900	River of Jordon / You'll Be Rewarded Over There	45		?
Earnest Carter and the Hymn Trio	Ark 9606	First Easter Day / Banks of Jordon / Mother Went Walking // Valley of Sin / Mountain Church / Jacob's Vision		Cincinnati, OH	?
Earnest Carter and the Hymn Trio	Ark CP 7601	Path of Sin / The Gospel Train	45	Cincinnati, OH	?
Eddie Ray Sosby & His Circle 3 Ranch Hands	Sullivan U-1979	The Cow Song (O! Why Did I Ever Milk Cows) / Little More Music	45	Serona, WI	?
Elizabeth Attkisson	Viola (Lundy) 760428	Harlan County Mines / I Dreamt About Daddy Last Night	45	Barbourville, KY	?
Glen Barber	Starday 676	If Anyone Can Show Cause / Stronger Than Dirt	45	Nashville, TN	?
Gospel Travelers	GT 325	I'd Like to Hear'm Preach It / Take Up Thy Cross	45	Dayton, OH	?
Herman Bruce & the Cumberland County Trio	Ark 6955	Prophesy of the Lord / Jesus Stopped By One Day // I Found a Way / From the Garden to the Cross	EP	Cincinnati, OH	?
Howard Davis	Ark 1000	Lightning / Oh My Love	45	Cincinnati, OH	?
Jack Lynch & the Lee Brothers	Jalyn 12921	Little Birdie / All the Love I Had is Gone	45	Dayton, OH	?
Janice and Paul Collins	Jalyn 16025	I'll Not Be a Stranger / Higher Power // Mother Left Me Her Bible / Shut-in's Prayer	EP	Dayton, OH	?
JD Jarvis	Ark 11336	River of Death / Nights in Low Lights // I Don't Want to Miss Heaven / When the Angels Carry Me Home	EP	Cincinnati, OH	?
JD Jarvis & Son Lucky & Rocky Mountain Boys	Ark 10645	A Few More Seasons / Nights in Low Lights / The Hands of God // Remember the Cross / Tell Them What You Want To / He is Mine	EP	Cincinnati, OH	?
JD Jarvis & the White Water Valley Boys	Ark 7481	That Lonely River / Are You Walking to the Light	45	Cincinnati, OH	?
Jim Harden & the Bluegrass Statesmen	Artist Recording 800418	Old Fashioned Altar / Pathway to Heaven	45	Cincinnati, OH	?
Jim Kandy	K-Ark 647	I'm the Man / Angelville/Sky	45		?
Jimmy Murphey	Ark 9865	Wake Me Up Sweet Jesus / My Feet's On Solid Ground	45	Cincinnati, OH	?
Johnny Blue & the Pelfrey Brothers	Ark 9007	Lonesome Mountain / New Angel in Heaven	45	Cincinnati, OH	?
Johnny Dacus, The Tennessee Mountain Fiddler	Old Homestead 90042	John's Mule	LP		?
Johnny Foster	Capa 122	My Own / Take Back My Heart	45	Nashville, TN	?
Johnny Morre Trio & Marrie Jones	Blaze 110	Did You Stop to Pray This Morning / Run Sinner Run	45		?
June Black	Chart Records 1285	The Other Woman Is Your Wife / Postmark Vietnam	45	Nashville, TN	?
Kenny Felts with the Starlighters	Jewel 80527	Robe of Calvary and Other Gospel Favorites	LP		?
L.B. Siler and the Round Mountain Boys	Jalyn 33724	The Good Sounds of Bluegrass	LP	Dayton, OH	?
Leon Turner	King 2810	What It Takes / That's the Reason	45	Cincinnati, OH	?
Leon Turner	Ark 9001	That's What It Takes / That's the Reason	EP	Cincinnati, OH	?
Leslie Durham & Joe Anderson the Calvary Duet	Ark 10028	Now Is The Time to Pray / Mother's Bible / I'll Make It Through // Stranger on the Road / Wings of an Angel / Jesus Answers My Prayers	EP	Cincinnati, OH	?
Lloyd Henson and His Electric Guitar	Laurel Leaf 23174	Savior of the Old Rugged Cross / Almost Home	45	London, KY	?
Luke Gibbons Rhythm Rangers	Dess 7010	Prisoner's Promise / Queen of Skid Row	45	Dayton, OH	?
Norville Dollar	Nugget 28572	Lonely Man / My Hurt's Too Deep for Tears	45		?
Old Joe Clark	Ark 8570 EP 229	Old Age Won't Kill You / Willow Garden / Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy // Fly Around My Pretty Little Pink / Pig in the Pen / Mountain Dew	EP	Cincinnati, OH	?
Old Kentucky Ike	Log Cabin 951	Dark Calvary Friend / Two Little Orphan Boys	45		?
Orville Couch	VJ 706	Color Me Gone / You're a Little Heartache	45		?
Paul Mullins and the Backwoods Boys Quartet	Jalyn 18847	Hymns from the Hills	LP		?
Pelfrey Brothers	Jalyn 12331	Joy Bells / I Just Dropped By // When the Angels Carry Me Home / Mother's Not Dead (She's Only Sleeping)	EP	Dayton, OH	?
Pelfrey Brothers	Jalyn 12092	The Fields Have Turned Brown / My Lord Will Lead Me Home // Get on Your Knees and Pray / He Will Set Your Fields on Fire	EP	Dayton, OH	?
Pine Mountain Gospel Singers	Ranger 449	Heaven	LP	Cllo, MI	?
Priscilla Mitchell	Mercury 72565	Sweet Talk / Almost Everything a Lonely Girl Needs	45		?
Ralph Emery	Mercury 72295	Sit Down and Write a Letter Won't You Baby / I Cry at Ballgames	45		?
Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys	Jalyn 22410	Bluegrass Sound	LP		?
Ray Pennington	King 5783	The First Step Down is the Longest / Your Diary	45	Cincinnati, OH	?
Ray Yeager	Tiara 33421	Our Little Girl / Old Junk Drawer	45	Hollywood, FL	?
Reverend Earl Caddell	Gospel Light GLD0345	House of Gold / Jesus is the One // Deliverance Will Come / The Blood That Stained That Old Rugged Cross	45	Knoxville, TN	?
Robert Kolen [Harmonica by John Reedy; Side B Accompanied by John Reedy]	Jalyn 338	Vietnam / Somebody Touched Me	45	Dayton, OH	?
Roy Acuff	Hickory 162	Why is Roy Acuff	LP		?
Rusty York & and the Kentucky Mountain Boys	Bluegrass Special 600	Little Rosewood Casket / Pretty Polly / Roving Gambler // Girl in Sunny Tennessee / Little Maggie / East Virginia Blues	EP	Cincinnati, OH	?
Sandy Brooks	Great 1070	I Didn't Have the Heart / Gold Wedding Ring	45	Nashville, TN	?
Sons of the Bluegrass	Ark 9273	Preach Pray Sing and Shout / I'll Find Him There // Uncle John Who Didn't Shout / Lord Keep Your Hand on Me	EP	Cincinnati, OH	?
Stanley Brothers	Gusto 273	Stanley Brothers In Person	LP	Nashville, TN	?
Stanley Brothers & the Clinch Mountain Boys	Jalyn 323	Long Journey Home / Going Downtown	45	Dayton, OH	?
Teenie Chenault	Alear 655	Where Happiness Ends and Heartbreak Begins / You're No Inspiration, Gracie for a Hit Song	45		?
The Jimmy Murphy Family	Artist Recording	Poor People	LP	Cincinnati, OH	?
The Kentuckians	Jalyn 19327	Little Darlin Pal of Mine / On the Banks of the Ohio	45	Dayton, OH	?
The Mark II	WYE 5-1001	Confusion / Night Theme	45		?
The Melody-ettes	Rose Recording	Amazing Grace Has to Be My Favorite Song	LP	Vandalia, OH	?
The New Georgia Crackers	Olympic 24	Yesterday's Memories (Are Heartaches Today) / Columbus Blues Stockade	45		?
The Osborne Brothers	MGM 4018	The Black Sheep Return to the Fold	LP		?
The Real Pros	Cinema 7515	My Reason is Jesus / Down in the Valley	45	Hollywood, CA	?
Thurston and Jawanda Hensley	Jordan Records	The King's Highway	LP	Covington, KY	?
Various Artists	Hilltop 6140	Bluegrass Banjos	LP		?
Various Artists	Ark 9868	I Long to Hear Hank Sing the Blues (Jimmy Murphy) / Swing Still Blues (Paul Smith	45	Cincinnati, OH	?
Various Artists [Side A = Upchurch Brothers; Side B = Terry Upchurch and the Upchurch Brothers]	Ark 7001	Ain't No Grave / My Soul's Been Satisfied / He'll Set You Free // Song of Songs / Someone Will Love Me / I Remember How Mother Prayed	EP	Cincinnati, OH	?
Various Artists [Side A = Upchurch Brothers; Side B = Terry Upchurch and the Upchurch Brothers]	Jewel EP 401	Counting My Blessings / When Jesus Calls / There Are No Shortcuts // The Day My Daddy Prayed / I'm Gonna Walk With Jesus / Everybody Will Be Happy	EP		?
Wade Mainer & the Sons of the Mountaineers	Old Homestead 90014	Rock of My Soul	LP	Brighton, MI	?
Wayne Rainey & the Rainey Family	New American 600	A Little Pine Log Cabin / Hand in Hand with Jesus / I Found It in Mother's Bible // Where No Cabins Fall / The Uncloudy Day / An Empty Mansion	EP	Oxford, OH	?
Wayne Rainey & the Rainey Family	Starday SEP-139	Over the Rolling Sea / He is Both God and Man / Family Circle // The Garden Where Mother Prayed / Wayward Drunk / I Want to Know	EP	Nashville, TN	?
Wibby Lee	Jalyn 214	I'm Lost Without Your Love / Please Don't Run Me Off	45	Dayton, OH	?
Wibby Lee & Paul Allan	Jalyn 402	Might As Well Be No Moon At All / I'm Talkin' Not Walkin' the Blues	45	Dayton, OH	?
Zirkle Brothers	Ark 9269	Now is the Time to Be Saved / Each Step I Take / King of Kings // Sweet Bye and Bye / Thankful / The Lord is Counting on You	EP	Cincinnati, OH	?
Zirkle Brothers	Ark 10069	They're Expecting Me Home / The Highest Mount	45	Cincinnati, OH	?
Zirkle Brothers	Ark 7607	Bugle Call From Heaven / Tell My Friends / Invisible Hands // Jesus Wept / His Robe / Where the Seasons Never Change	EP	Cincinnati, OH	?