Restrictions to Access

For the lifetime of the donor, researchers must request permission from the donor for duplication of tape recordings.

Use of audio or video materials may require production of viewing copies.

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.

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 David Morton Collection #20373, Southern Folklife Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Provenance

Received from David Morton of Reno, N.C., in 2003 (Acc. 99473, Acc. 99488, Acc. 99513, Acc. 99632) in 2005 (Acc. 100287), and in 2006 (Acc. 100358).

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.

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.

• African Americans--Music.
• Bailey, DeFord.
• Country music.
• Country musicians.
• Film.
• Grand ole opry (Radio program).
• Harmonica music.
• Morton, David, 1945-
• WDAD (Radio station : Nashville, Tenn.)
• WSM (Radio station : Nashville, Tenn.)

In 1991, along with Charles K. Wolfe, David C. Morton (1945- ) published a book entitled DeFord Bailey: A Black Star in Early Country Music (University of Tennessee Press). DeFord Bailey (1899-1982) was a legendary African American harmonica player, who performed on WSM's Grand Ole Opry, a weekly radio show broadcast from Nashville, Tenn. Bailey began his career soon after WDAD came on the air in 1925. He continued to play on the radio show until 1941, becoming well known for his tune, "Pan American Blues." Bailey traveled extensively, entertaining audiences along with Roy Acuff and other members of the Grand Ole Opry throughout the South and the Midwest during what was a dangerous and difficult period for African Americans to receive basic services in hotels and restaurants.

In 1973, David Morton was employed by the Metropolitan Housing and Development Agency in Nashville, Tenn. Morton set out to write a story for the public housing newsletter about DeFord Bailey's musical accomplishments. Bailey was then a resident of Nashville's public housing. Morton was warned that Bailey would be unwilling to be interviewed. He eventually found Bailey, developed a friendship with him, and spent many hours recording Bailey's stories and songs. In 1974, soon after the interviews began, Morton wrote an article for Nashville! magazine about the legendary country music player, entitled "Every Day's Been Sunday." Later, with the urging of DeFord Bailey and the help of Charles K. Wolfe, a biography was written.

A historical marker in honor of DeFord Bailey's contributions to the musical community was erected in Nashville's Edgeville neighborhood where Bailey lived and maintained a shoeshine shop after his career with the Grand Ole Opry ended in the early-1940s. His cemetery grave marker, also located near Nashville, reads, "Harmonica Wizard."

The David Morton collection contains documentation, sound recordings, and a videotape chiefly relating to Morton's work with African American harmonica player  DeFord Bailey.

Documentation consists of correspondence concerning Morton's biography of DeFord Bailey; the placement of a historical marker dedicated to Bailey in the Edgehill community in Nashville, Tenn.; and a letter from a German auto parts manufacturer requesting approval to use a photograph of Bailey in an advertising campaign. There are also newspaper and magazine clippings referring to Bailey's contributions to country music, including a 1974 article that David Morton wrote for Nashville! magazine. Other items are calendars with photographs of Bailey, memorial information with a map pointing to Bailey's gravesite, and a tributary brochure. Also included are a black-and-white publicity shot of Bailey for WSM's Grand Ole Opry and a poster created by the Hatch Show Print Company for the segment on DeFord Bailey and the Grand Ole Opry that aired on 24 November 2000 as part of National Public Radio's Lost and Found Sound series.

Sound recordings consist of reel-to-reel tapes and audiocassettes. Reel-to-reel tapes document interview sessions between David Morton and DeFord Bailey; they contain conversations and music recordings of Bailey on harmonica, guitar, and banjo. Most audiocassettes were made between 1973 and 1980 and include DeFord Bailey interview sessions, music recordings, and performances. Other audiocassettes include interviews of other Grand Ole Opry performers and of WDAD employees, conducted by David Morton; and recordings of National Pubilc Radio programs related to DeFord Bailey. The videotape is a 28-minute production called DeFord Bailey: A Legend Lost that was developed for Nashville Public Television, Inc. There is also a 16mm film with sound of a Deford Bailey performance.