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This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.
Archival processing of the John N. Callahan Collection was made possible through a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Size | .5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 30 items) |
Abstract | Audio recordings of fiddle contests and fiddling conventions recorded by John N. Callahan, a white fiddle contest organizer of Birmingham, Ala. The open reel audio recordings mostly feature folk and bluegrass music on fiddle, banjo, guitar, and mandolin performed at fiddle contests and fiddling conventions across the southern United States, including the states of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. The collection also contains field recordings made by John N. Callahan at musicians' homes, as well as supporting documentation consisting of tape logs prepared by former library staff and scattered flyers and promotional materials compiled by John N. Callahan. |
Creator | Callahan, John N. |
Curatorial Unit | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Folklife Collection. |
Language | English |
Processed by: Anne Wells, July 2018
Encoded by: Anne Wells, July 2018
Conscious Editing Work by: Anne Wells, May 2021. Updated abstract and scope content note.
Archival processing of the John N. Callahan Collection was made possible through a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Since August 2017, we have added ethnic and racial identities for individuals and families represented in collections. To determine identity, we rely on self-identification; other information supplied to the repository by collection creators or sources; public records, press accounts, and secondary sources; and contextual information in the collection materials. Omissions of ethnic and racial identities in finding aids created or updated after August 2017 are an indication of insufficient information to make an educated guess or an individual's preference for identity information to be excluded from description. When we have misidentified, please let us know at wilsonlibrary@unc.edu.
Back to TopThe following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
John N. Callahan of Birmingham, Ala. is a white retired journalist who organized fiddle contests and fiddling conventions in the southern United States.
Back to TopAudio recordings of fiddle contests and fiddling conventions recorded by John N. Callahan, a white fiddle contest organizer of Birmingham, Ala. The open reel audio recordings mostly feature folk and bluegrass music on fiddle, banjo, guitar, and mandolin performed at fiddle contests and fiddling conventions across the southern United States, including the states of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. Of particular note are the recordings featuring Texas fiddling by Texas-based fiddlers, Paul Melton, Dusick Barrett, Vernon Solomon, and Lewis Franklin and recordings featuring the modern Texas style, or contest fiddling style, by Byron Berline, J. T. Perkins, and Herman Johnson. Other recordings include field recordings made by Callahan at musicians' homes in Hickson, Tenn., Birmingham, Ala., and Lake Charles, La. Of particular note is the Lake Charles, La. field recording featuring Cajun fiddling by Varise Connor. The collection also contains supporting documentation consisting of tape logs and scattered flyers. Tape logs, which were made by former SFC staff, include artist names and song titles of recordings when known. Flyers consist of promotional fiddlers contest newsletters sent by John N. Callahan to Daniel W. Patterson, folklorist and the former chair of the Curriculum in Folklore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Back to TopArrangement: In order as received.
SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20019/290 |
Fiddle and banjo pieces at Renfro Valley, Kentucky Fiddlers Convention, 1970; Old Time Fiddlers Contest, Tulsa Fair, Tulsa, Okla., 19721/4" Open Reel Audio Side 1: 1970 Kentucky fiddlers convention Side 2: 1970 Kentucky fiddlers convention (continued); 1972 Old Time Fiddlers Contest in Tulsa, Okla. |
SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20019/291 |
Old Time Fiddlers Convention, Lexington, Ala., 11-12 April 19751/4" Open Reel Audio |
SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20019/292 |
Old Time Fiddlers Contest, Tulsa Fair, Okla., 1972; Fiddlers Convention in Birmingham, Ala., undated; Will Morrison, Mr. Barnes, Lonnie Lee, Fox, Ark.1/4" Open Reel Audio Side 1: 1972 Old Time Fiddlers Contest in Tulsa, Okla. Side 2: undated Fiddlers Convention in Birmingham, Ala.; recording of Will Morrison (fiddle), Mr. Barnes (banjo) and Lonnie Lee (guitar) |
SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20019/293 |
U.S. Grass at Oak Street Restaurant, Birmingham, Ala., 1975; Fiddlers Convention, Tuscaloosa, Ala., undated1/4" Open Reel Audio Side 1: 1975 recordings of the U.S. Grass bluegrass band Side 2: U.S. Grass bluegrass band continued; undated fiddlers convention in Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20019/294 |
Fiddlers Contest in Birmingham, Ala., 18-19 May 1975; Fiddlers Contest in Fort Worth, Tex., undated1/4" Open Reel Audio Side 1: 1975 fiddlers contest in Birmingham, Ala.; undated fiddlers contest in Fort Worth, Tex. Side 2: undated fiddlers contest in Fort Worth, Tex. Continued |
SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20019/295 |
J. T Perkins, Claudy Holt, and Algie Surratt; Fiddlers Contest in Ringgold, Ga., 18 March 1972; Cajun fiddling recordings made by Callahan in Lake Arthur, La., undated1/4" Open Reel Audio Side 1: undated recordings of J. T Perkins (fiddle), Claudy Holt (guitar), and Algie Surratt (guitar); 1972 fiddlers contest in Ringgold, Ga. Side 2: 1972 fiddlers contest in Ringgold, Ga. continued; undated recordings of Cajun fiddling made in Lake Arthur, La. featuring Varise Connor (fiddle) and Lionel Lelou (guitar) |
SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20019/296 |
Fiddlers Contest in Athens, Ala., 3 October 1970; Olwyn[?] Estes and Claudy Holt, Birmingham, Ala.; Festival in Asheboro, N.C., circa 1971; Fiddle Contest, Birmingham, Ala., undated; a festival in Tennessee, undated; and Callahan's home in Birmingham, Ala., undated1/4" Open Reel Audio Side 1: 1970 fiddlers contest in Athens, Ala.; recordings of Olwyn[?] Estes (fiddle) and Claudy Holt (guitar) made by John N. Callahan at his Birmingham, Ala. home; circa 1971 festival in Asheboro, N.C. Side 2: undated fiddle content in Birmingham, Ala.; undated festival in Tennessee |
SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20019/297 |
Fiddlers Contests in Hickson, Tenn., 1973; Fiddlers Contest in Fort Worth, Tex., 19721/4" Open Reel Audio Side 1: 1973 recordings by John N. Callahan made in Hickson, Tenn.; 1972 fiddlers contest in Fort Worth, Tex. undated fiddlers contest in Fort Worth, Tex. |
SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20019/298 |
Birmingham Southern College, Birmingham, Ala., 19751/4" Open Reel Audio Side 1: recordings of fiddle and banjo pieces recorded at the campus of Birmingham Southern College on 22 June 1975 Side 2: Birmingham Southern College recordings (continued) |
SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20019/299 |
Fiddlers Convention, Huntsville, Ala., 19751/4" Open Reel Audio Side 1: fiddle, banjo, and guitar pieces recorded at the 1975 fiddlers convention in Huntsville, Ala. on 28 June 1975 Side 2: 1975 fiddlers convention in Huntsville, Ala. (continued) |
SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20019/300 |
Fiddlers Convention, Huntsville, Ala., 19751/4" Open Reel Audio Side 1: fiddle, banjo, and guitar pieces recorded at the 1975 fiddlers convention in Huntsville, Ala. on 28 June 1975 Side 2: 1975 fiddlers convention in Huntsville, Ala. (continued) |
SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20019/353 |
Fiddle and banjo pieces recorded on Alabama Public TV, Birmingham, Ala.; Fiddlers contests, Fort Worth, Tex., 1972; Fiddlers contest, Huntsville, Ala.1/4" Open Reel Audio Side 1: fiddle and banjo pieces recorded on Alabama Public Television; 1972 fiddlers' contest in Fort Worth, Tex. Side 2: 1972 fiddlers' contest in Fort Worth, Tex. (continued); undated fiddlers contest in Huntsville, Ala. |
SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20019/389 |
Fiddlers Conventions in Huntsville, Ala.; Fiddlers Conventions in Tuscaloosa, Ala., 19761/4" Open Reel Audio Side 1: 1976 fiddlers convention in Huntsville, Ala. Side 2: 1976 fiddlers convention in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Recorded 23-24 January 1976 |
SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20019/446 |
Fiddle contest held at the University of Alabama, 26-27 March 19761/4" Open Reel Audio Side 1 only |
SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20019/1198 |
Fiddle tunes, some recorded at the Fiddlers Contest at the University of Alabama, 24-25 February 19781/4" Open Reel Audio Side 1: miscellaneous fiddle tunes (possible dubs); 1978 fiddlers contest at the University of Ala. Side 2: 1978 fiddlers contest at the University of Ala. (continued) |
Processing information: Folders 1-6 were formerly in Southern Folklife Collection Field Notes (#30025). Flyers were formerly in collection control file. Folder titles include call number of corresponding recording call number.
Tape logs and scattered flyers related to audio recordings found in series 1. Tape logs, which were made by former SFC staff, include artist names and song titles of recordings when known. Flyers consist of promotional fiddlers contest newsletters sent by John N. Callahan to Daniel W. Patterson, folklorist and the former chair of the Curriculum in Folklore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Folder 1 |
Tape logs: FT-290-295Formerly folders 413 within Southern Folklife Collection Field Notes (#30025) |
Folder 2 |
Tape logs: FT-296-300Formerly folders 414 within Southern Folklife Collection Field Notes (#30025) |
Folder 3 |
Tape logs: FT-353Formerly folders 420 within Southern Folklife Collection Field Notes (#30025) |
Folder 4 |
Tape logs: FT-389Formerly folders 427 within Southern Folklife Collection Field Notes (#30025) |
Folder 5 |
Tape logs: FT-446Formerly folders 443 within Southern Folklife Collection Field Notes (#30025) |
Folder 6 |
Tape logs: FT-1198Formerly folders 530 within Southern Folklife Collection Field Notes (#30025) |
Folder 7 |
Flyers: FT-290-295Contains promotional newsletters for: 1974 Fiddlers Convention in Huntsville, Ala.; 1975 Fiddlers Convention and Bluegrass Contest in Birmingham, Ala.; and 1976 Fiddlers Contest in Columbus, Ga. |