MUS. Music

 Record Group
Identifier: MUS
SCUA partnership with the National Museum of African American Music, in collaboration with the Anne Potter Wilson Music Library. Includes collections related to the history of music, particularly jazz and country music. Contains personal papers of performers and collections of material related to the same. Highlights include the papers of Dizzy Gillespie, Rissi Palmer, and Dom Flemons.

Found in 80 Collections and/or Records:

Cortex and Ankle Manuscript Score

 Collection
Identifier: MSS.0947
Abstract

This collection contains the musical score for "Cortex and Ankle: Songs after Texts of Christopher Middleton," composed by Michael Hersch, 2016.

Dates: circa 2016

Dinah Shore Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MSS.1020
Abstract The Dinah Shore collection consists of the personal and professional materials of Dinah Shore, an award-winning singer and television host. The collection spans the 1920s through the 2010s, with the bulk of the materials from 1960-1989, coinciding with the peak of Dinah’s television career. Materials include photographs (both professional and personal), newspaper clippings, limited correspondence, books and booklets, and manuscripts. Highlights include the professional photographs, which are...
Dates: 1920s-2010s

John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MSS.1000
Abstract The John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie Collection comprises materials related to the life and professional journey of the renowned jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader, Dizzy Gillespie. Predominant among these artifacts is a substantial collection of photographs, spanning from the 1930s to the early 2000s, with the major portion dating from the 1950s to the 1990s. These photographs not only provide a comprehensive visual chronicle of Gillespie’s personal life and musical career but also serve...
Dates: c. 1940s-2003

Janet Jackson Memorabilia Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MSS.1023
Abstract

This collection contains two black coats made for Janet Jackson's 1990 Rhythm Nation Tour. One coat was worn by Jackson during the opening sequence of the tour while performing "Control" and "Nasty." The other coat is a similar, second version of the first coat.

Dates: 1990; 2021

Rissi Palmer Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MSS.1026
Abstract

The Rissi Palmer Collection, 1984-2021, consists of songwriting notebooks, photographs, CDs, and outfits from African-American country music artist Rissi Palmer, b. 1981.

Dates: 1984 - 2021

Rex Stewart Letters Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MSS.1016
Abstract

Rex Stewart Letter Collection consists of correspondence between Rex Stewart and his friend, Munich journalist and photographer Hans Henning Hartmann, written between 1954 and 1968. The collection also includes letters from other individuals, including potential concert managers, and posthumous letters from Stewart's wife, Claire Gordon, addressed to Hartmann.

Dates: 1954 - 1967

Otha Turner Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MSS.1051
Abstract The Otha Turner collection includes audiovisual recordings, musical instruments, and other materials documenting the life and artistry of Othar (Otha) Turner (1907-2003). A master of the fife and drum tradition from northern Mississippi, Turner was a farmer in Gravel Springs, Mississippi. He performed fife and drum music at goat barbeques, held annually around Labor Day, for family and community members. A few of these performances were recorded and are included in the collection. Later in...
Dates: 1970 - 2007

Louis Armstrong Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MSS.1039
Scope and Contents

This small collection contains a contract for a performance by Armstrong and related correspondance and five publicity photos, two of which are reproductions used in the publication and promotion of Gary Giddens' biography of Armstrong.

Dates: 1964 - 1988

Sun Ra Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MSS.1057

André LeRoy Davis Hip Hop Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MSS.1071
Abstract

The André LeRoy Davis Hip Hop Collection features eight fine art prints featuring illustrations from the artist. Six of the illustrations were published in the Source between 1994 and 2003 in Davis’ editorial column “The Last Word.” The illustrations address issues of politics, culture, and justice through the lens of hip hop and show why Davis is considered the father of hip hop comics.

Dates: 1994 - 2016

Charles Stewart Jazz Portraits Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MSS.1073
Abstract

The Charles Stewart Jazz Portraits Collection consists of five photographs of jazz musicians taken in the 1960s by the African-American photographer Charles “Chuck” Stewart (1927-2017) in New York, including photographs of Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, and Roy Eldridge.

Dates: circa 1960s

Sheet Music Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MSS.1102

Louis Jordan Songbook

 Collection
Identifier: MSS.1105
Abstract

The Louis Jordan Songbook, c. 1967-1975, consists of pamphlets, photographs, music, and lyrics of saxophonist Louis Jordan, 1908-1975.

Dates: 1967 - 1975

Miko Marks Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MSS.1110
Abstract

The Miko Marks Collection, 2005-2024, consists of papers, photographs, audiovisual material, and artifacts of singer Miko Marks.

Dates: 2005 - 2024

Eugene Carrier Collection of B. B. King Posters and Photographs

 Collection
Identifier: MSS.1119
Abstract

The Eugene Carrier Collection of B. B. King Posters and Photographs, 1979-1988, consists of concert posters, photographs, and newspaper headlines related to musician B. B. King, 1925-2015.

Dates: 1979 - 1988

Allison Russell Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MSS.1121
Abstract

The Allison Russell Papers, 2004-2024, consist of set lists, photographs, and drafts of lyrics of musician Allison Russell, b. 1982.

Dates: 2004 - 2024

About this Site

This site contains collection guides, or finding aids, to the archival collections held by Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives, the History of Medicine Collection, and the Scarritt Bennett Center. Finding aids describe the context, arrangement, and structure of archival materials, allowing users to identify and request materials relevant to their research.

Requesting Materials

Each finding aid contains a link to request materials from the collections. Collections can also be requested by emailing the repository directly through the library website. Each repository has its own location, hours, and contact information. Please consult the repository with questions about using the materials. Collections are non-circulating and must be used in the repository’s reading room. In many cases, the collections are stored off-site and require advance notice for retrieval.