Restrictions to Access

Library use only.

Use of audio materials may require production of listening copies.

Copyright Notice

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 Berea College Collection of John Lair and Lester McFarland Recordings #20281, Southern Folklife Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Acquisitions Information

Materials received from Berea College Special Collections and Archives Collection in April 1997 (Acc. 97181).

Custodial History

The Berea College Collection of John Lair and Lester McFarland Recordings were received from Berea College in 1997. Harry Rice of Berea College Special Collections and Archives initiated the transfer with Michael Taft, former University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill sound and image librarian, in exchange for copies of Lester McFarland and Coon Creek Girls materials held in the Southern Folklife Collection.

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.

Processed by: Anne Wells, Rae Hoyle, October 2018

Encoded by: Anne Wells, October 2018

Archival processing of the Berea College Collection of John Lair and Lester McFarland Recordings was made possible through a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Since August 2017, we have added ethnic identities for individuals and families represented in collections. To determine ethnic 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 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 ethnicity to be excluded from description. When we have misidentified, please let us know at wilsonlibrary@email.unc.edu.

The 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.

• Berea College.
• Coon Creek Girls.
• Country music.
• Lair, John.
• Ledford, Lily May, 1917-1985.
• Ledford, Rosie, 1916-1976.
• Mac & Bob (Musical group)
• McFarland, Lester.
• Old-time music.
• Radio programs, Musical--United States.
• Radio programs--United States.
• Renfro Valley Barn Dance (Radio program)
• String band music.

• Berea College Special Collections and Archives Collection, John Lair Papers
• Berea College Special Collections and Archives Collection, John Lair - Renfro Valley Barn Dance Oral History Collection
• Berea College Special Collections and Archives Collection, Reuben Powell Early Country Music Collection

The Berea College Special Collections and Archives is part of the Hutchins Library at Berea College, a liberal arts work college located in Berea, Ky. Their archival collections consist of college archival collections, southern Appalachian archival collections, historical archival collections, and non-commercial audiovisual materials.

The Berea College Collection of John Lair and Lester McFarland Recordings consists of reference copies of old-time and country recordings found in the Berea College Special Collections and Archives. The audio recordings consist mostly of country music radio programs associated with John Lair, a white Kentucky born broadcaster, folklorist, and music collector, including recordings of the Pinex Merrymakers and the Renfro Valley Barn Dance radio programs. Of particular note are the radio recordings of the Coon Creek Girls, an all-female string band featuring the white Kentucky born sisters, Lily May Ledford and Rosie Ledford. The collection also includes an interview with white musician, Lester McFarland, of the country music duo Mac & Bob. All collection recordings are on audiocassette.

• Audiocassettes (FS-20281/1-5)