Peter Redvers-Lee Blues Interview Collection
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of audio interviews with blues musicians gathered by Peter Redvers-Lee, in part in collaboration with others. These were variously conducted either in preparation for articles to be printed in Living Blues magazine or for a then-planned book on Sonny Boy Williamson ((II), d. 1965). The collection also includes transcripts of many of these interviews and copies of documents and press chiefly related to Sonny Boy Williamson (II) and other blues artists.
Dates
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1988-1991
- Creation: 1965-1991
Creator
- Redvers-Lee, Peter (Interviewer, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use. This collection may be viewed in the Anne Potter Wilson Music Library at 2400 Blakemore Ave., Nashville, TN 37212.
Biographical / Historical
Peter Redvers-Lee was born in 1960 in Estcourt, South Africa. After graduating in 1985 from the University of South Africa, he attended the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi, obtaining an M.A. in Journalism. During this time he also acted as editor of Living Blues magazine from 1987-1991. He also founded Fat Possum Records in 1991, which specialized in discovering blues musicians from the North Mississippi region. He later obtained a Ph.D. in Community Research and Action in 2011 from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
Full Extent
1.75 Linear Feet (4 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
The donor’s original tape numbering has been preserved where known. Tapes found without numbers have been assigned numbers 54-62. Original tape titles have been preserved where deemed logical and correlations between the original tapes and the interview transcriptions have been noted within this document. Multiple versions of the interview transcriptions are extant where interviews were transcribed both by associates of Peter Redvers-Lee in 1988-1991 and by the Anne Potter Wilson Music Library staff beginning in 2013. Differences may exist between these various transcriptions.
The collection has been arranged into two series based on content. The first series has been further arranged into subseries. The divisions are as follows:
Series A: Interviews, divided into Subseries 1: Audio Recordings and Subseries 2: Transcripts.
Series B: Research Materials
Physical Location
Anne Potter Wilson Music Library Vault
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was received from Peter Redvers-Lee and Elizabeth Boyd in 2006.
Appraisal
The 250-odd published media received with this collection were incorporated into the library circulating collection.
A framed and signed photograph of James "Son" Thomas was put on permanent display at the Anne Potter Wilson Music Library.
Geographic Locations
Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana
Subject
- Williamson, Sonny Boy, -1965 (Person)
- Johnson, Robert, 1911-1938 (Person)
- Title
- Finding aid for the Peter Redvers-Lee Blues Interview Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Jake Schaub
- Date
- 2026-08-13
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Anne Potter Wilson Music Library Repository
2400 Blakemore Ave.
Nashville TN 37212
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.