Jack Bernhardt Papers, 1943-2017

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Summary

Creator:
Bernhardt, Jack.
Abstract:

Jack Bernhardt (1944- ), music critic, archaeologist, and cultural anthropologist of Hillsborough, N.C., recorded, interviewed, and performed with country, old-time, bluegrass, gospel, and other musicians, including many well-known country music stars, old-time musicians, and scholars.

The collection includes materials on contemporary country artists; the Jerry and Tammy Sullivan Bluegrass Gospel Project; old-time music and musicians; and Uncle Joe Johnson, radio personality at WPAQ in Mount Airy, N.C., The contemporary country artists materials are interviews conducted by Jack Bernhardt with many of America's leading bluegrass and country music stars, including Mary-Chapin Carpenter, Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell, David Grisman, George Jones, Wynnona Judd, Kris Kristofferson, Kathy Mattea, Hugh Moffatt, Bill Monroe, Jesse McReynolds, David Olney, Leon Redbone, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, Joe Thompson, Randy Travis, and Townes Van Zandt. The Jerry and Tammy Sullivan Bluegrass Gospel Project materials include interviews with Jerry Sullivan, Tammy Sullivan, and other members of the Sullivan family and field recordings of performances by the group in small churches in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Photographs of Sullivan family performances and concert posters are also included. Old-time music and musicians materials consist of interviews with and performances by many notable old-time musicians and scholars, some from the Galax, Va., and Mount Airy, N.C., areas. They include Rafe Brady, Cecelia Conway, Dwight Diller, Ernest East, Alice Gerard, Bill Hicks, Alan Jabbour, Tommy Jarrell, Gerry Milnes, Henry Reed, Tommy Thompson, and Jim Watson. Musical performances were recorded in both informal home settings and at workshops, fiddling conventions, and competitions. Uncle Joe Johnson materials include a number of photographs of WPAQ radio personality Uncle Joe Johnson and others. The Addition of July 2012 includes more interviews conducted by Bernhardt with contemporary artists including Trace Adkins, Sam Bush, Guy Clark, Susanna Clark, Vassar Clements, J.D. Crowe, Jerry Douglas, Vince Gill, John Hartford, Alan Jackson, Naomi Judd, Alison Krauss, Doyle Lawson, Charlie Louvin, Patty Loveless, Loretta Lynn, Jimmy Martin, Kathy Mattea, Martina McBride, Del McCoury, Reba McEntire, Ricky Scaggs, Earl Scruggs, the Steep Canyon Rangers, Rhonda Vincent, and Gretchen Wilson.

Extent:
340 items
Language:
English,
Library Catalog Link:
View UNC library catalog record for this item

Background

Biographical / historical:

Jack Bernhardt was born in Canton, Ohio, on 23 July 1944. As an anthropology student, he received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Kent State University. In the mid-1970s, he studied at Columbia University where he received his M.Phil. in anthropology.

Bernhardt's archaeological career includes research on prehistoric settlement patterns in New Mexico and on Ohio Hopewell and Late Woodland cultures. He also led Cultural Research Management projects in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and New York State.

In January 1980, Bernhardt moved to Chapel Hill, N.C. He had developed a strong interest in country music and playing guitar. He began making trips to Galax, Va., and Mount Airy, N.C., interviewing musicians and recording musical performances. In 1987, he was hired The News and Observer of Raleigh, N.C., as its correspondent covering country and traditional music.

In the early 1990s, Bernhardt began coursework in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Curriculum in Folklore, where he studied southern religious traditions. In 1993, he initiated a long-term ethnographic research project, joining bluegrass gospel musicians Jerry and Tammy Sullivan on their tour of small churches in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.

Bernhardt has contributed to numerous publications, including The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture,Encyclopedia of Country Music,The Journal of Country Music,Bluegrass Unlimited,The Bluegrass Reader,In the Spirit: Alabama's Sacred Music Traditions,American Indian Quarterly,Caves and Culture, and Pennsylvania Archaeologist.

Scope and content:

Jack Bernhardt's collection includes materials on contemporary country artists; the Jerry and Tammy Sullivan Bluegrass Gospel Project; old-time music and musicians; and Uncle Joe Johnson, radio personality at WPAQ in Mount Airy, N.C.

The contemporary country artists materials are interviews conducted by Jack Bernhardt with many of America's leading bluegrass and country music stars, including Mary-Chapin Carpenter, Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell, David Grisman, George Jones, Wynnona Judd, Kris Kristofferson, Kathy Mattea, Jesse McReynolds, Hugh Moffatt, Bill Monroe, David Olney, Leon Redbone, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, Joe Thompson, Randy Travis, and Townes Van Zandt.

The Jerry and Tammy Sullivan Bluegrass Gospel Project materials include interviews with Jerry Sullivan, Tammy Sullivan, and other members of the Sullivan family and field recordings of performances by the group in small churches in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Photographs of Sullivan family performances and concert posters are also included.

Old-time music and musicians materials consist of interviews with and performances by many notable old-time musicians and scholars, some from the Galax, Va., and Mount Airy, N.C., areas. They include Rafe Brady, Cecelia Conway, Dwight Diller, Ernest East, Alice Gerard, Bill Hicks, Alan Jabbour, Tommy Jarrell, Gerry Milnes, Henry Reed, Tommy Thompson, and Jim Watson. Musical performances were recorded in both informal home settings and at workshops, fiddling conventions, and competitions.

Uncle Joe Johnson materials include a number of photographs of WPAQ radio personality Uncle Joe Johnson and others.

The Addition of July 2012 contains interviews conducted by Bernhardt with a variety of contemporary musicians and composers. Arists interviewed include Trace Adkins, Sam Bush, Guy Clark, Susanna Clark, Vassar Clements, J.D. Crowe, Jerry Douglas, Vince Gill, John Hartford, Alan Jackson, Naomi Judd, Alison Krauss, Doyle Lawson, Charlie Louvin, Patty Loveless, Loretta Lynn, Jimmy Martin, Kathy Mattea, Martina McBride, Del McCoury, Reba McEntire, Ricky Scaggs, Earl Scruggs, the Steep Canyon Rangers, Rhonda Vincent, and Gretchen Wilson.

Additions received after July 2012 have not been integrated into the original deposits, Researchers should always check additions to be sure they have identified all files of interest to them.

Acquisition information:

Received from Jack Bernhardt, of Durham, N.C., on 11 June 1993 (Acc. 98648), 3 July 2012 (Acc. 101618), September 2022 (Acc. 20230316.1), and September 2025 (Acc. 20251001.1).

Processing information:

Processed by: Steven Weiss.

Encoded by: Steven Weiss.

Revisions: Updated in January 2013 by Danielle Fasig; May 2023 by Kensi Laube and Laura Smith; October 2025 by Andrew Crook and Dawne Lucas

Sensitive materials statement:

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.

Access and use

Restrictions to access:

This collection contains additional materials that are not processed and are currently not available to researchers. For information about access to these materials, contact Research and Instructional Services staff. Please be advised that preparing unprocessed materials for access can be a lengthy process.

Use of audio or moving image materials may require production of listening or viewing copies.

Access to streaming audio or moving image materials may be restricted to researchers who can authenticate with an ONYEN or who are physically present on campus. For further information about access to streaming audiovisual materials, contact Research and Instructional Services staff at Wilsonlibrary@unc.edu

Restrictions to use:

Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law,

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], in the Jack Bernhardt Papers (#20061), Southern Folklife Collection, Wilson Special Collections Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Location of this collection:
Louis Round Wilson Library
200 South Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27515
Contact:
(919) 962-3765
wilsonlibrary@unc.edu