Correspondence, 1958-2003; records of payment, 1958; sales records, 1958-1965
Collection Restrictions:
Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at rinzlerarchives@si.edu or (202) 633-7322 for additional information.
Collection Rights:
Copyright restrictions apply. Contact archives staff for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Moses and Frances Asch Collection, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at rinzlerarchives@si.edu or (202) 633-7322 for additional information.
Collection Rights:
Copyright restrictions apply. Contact archives staff for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Moses and Frances Asch Collection, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
File consists of typed and handwritten notes, interview outline, and correspondence between Moses Asch and Harold Leventhal.
Collection Restrictions:
Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at rinzlerarchives@si.edu or (202) 633-7322 for additional information.
Collection Rights:
Copyright restrictions apply. Contact archives staff for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Moses and Frances Asch Collection, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Festival Recordings: National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Stage: Reagon, Gilbert, Logsdon, A. Guthrie, Studs Terkel, J. White Jr., P. Seeger, R. Rinzler
Creator:
Smithsonian Institution. Festival of American Folklife. National Heritage Fellowships Program 1982 Washington, D.C. Search this
Arlo Guthrie--1913 massacre; Bernice Reagon--I've got to know; Pete Seeger--Lonesome valley; Group--Woody'r rag; Marjorie Guthrie, Guy Logsdon--narrative; Studs Terkel--I need thirty minutes; Ronnie Gilbert--Union maid; Bernice Reagon--Deportees (Plane wreck at Los Gatos); Guy Logsdon--Oil fields
Local Numbers:
FP-1982-7RR-0082
General:
CDR copy
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note:
Recorded in: Washington (D.C.), United States, June 25, 1982.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Copyright and other restrictions may apply. Generally, materials created during a Festival are covered by a release signed by each participant permitting their use for personal and educational purposes; materials created as part of the fieldwork leading to a Festival may be more restricted. We permit and encourage such personal and educational use of those materials provided digitally here, without special permissions. Use of any materials for publication, commercial use, or distribution requires a license from the Archives; please submit this form. Licensing fees may apply in addition to any processing fees.
1. Intro 2. Going Down This Old Dusty Road 3. Narrative- Terkel 4. Hard Travelin' 5. Pretty Boy Floyd 6. Narrative 7. I'm Gonna to Mail Myself to You 8. Narrative 9. 900 Miles 10. Narrative 11. Roll On Columbia 12. Narrative 13. Sinking of the Reuben James 14. Pastures of Plenty 15. 1913 Massacre 16. I've Got to Know 17. Lonesome Valley 18. Instrumental 19. Narrative 20. Union Maid
Track Information:
101 Intro / Ralph Rinzler.
102 Going Down This Old Dusty Road / Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert. Banjo,Guitar.
103 Narrative / Studs Terkel.
104 Hard Traveling / Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert. Banjo,Guitar.
105 Pretty Boy Floyd / Arlo Guthrie. Guitar.
106 My Curly Headed Baby / Bernice Johnson Reagon.
107 Mail Myself to You / Josh, Jr. White. Guitar.
108 Narrative / Ronnie Gilbert.
109 900 Miles / Bernice Johnson Reagon.
110 Narrative / Guy William Logsdon.
111 Roll On Columbia / Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert. Banjo,Guitar.
112 Narrative / Guy William Logsdon.
113 The Sinking of the Reuben James / Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert. Banjo,Guitar.
114 Pastures of Plenty / Josh, Jr. White. Guitar.
115 1913 Massacre / Arlo Guthrie. Guitar.
116 I've Got to Know / Bernice Johnson Reagon.
117 Lonesome Valley / Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert. Banjo,Guitar.
118 Woody's Rag / Ralph Rinzler, Arlo Guthrie, Ronnie Gilbert. Banjo,Guitar,Mandolin.
119 Narrative / Harold Leventhal, Marjorie Guthrie, Toshi Seeger.
120 Union Maid / Ronnie Gilbert. Banjo,Guitar.
Local Numbers:
FP-CDR-0023
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note:
Recorded in: Washington (D.C.), United States, 1982.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Copyright and other restrictions may apply. Generally, materials created during a Festival are covered by a release signed by each participant permitting their use for personal and educational purposes; materials created as part of the fieldwork leading to a Festival may be more restricted. We permit and encourage such personal and educational use of those materials provided digitally here, without special permissions. Use of any materials for publication, commercial use, or distribution requires a license from the Archives; please submit this form. Licensing fees may apply in addition to any processing fees.
The Lee Hays papers measures 7.85 cubic feet and dates from 1923 to 1981. The collection includes original writings, correspondence, and miscellaneous projects by Lee Hays; business records, interviews and features related to Lee Hays, including photographs; clippings saved by Lee Hays; and audiorecordings made by Lee Hays.
Scope and Contents:
The Lee Hays papers, which date from 1923-1981, contain personal and business correspondence; typescripts of Lee Hays' fiction, non-fiction, scripts and poetry; miscellaneous project and idea materials; business documents; and audiorecordings made by Lee Hays. The collection measures 7.85 cubic feet.
Arrangement:
The Lee Hays papers, are divided into seven series: 1) Correspondence, 2) Business, 3) Projects and Writings, 4) Collected Texts, 5) Interviews, 6) Features on Lee Hays and 7) Audio Recordings.
The Correspondence Series is divided into two subseries: 1) Personal, and 2) Business.
The Projects and Writings series is divided into six subseries: 1) Songs, 2) Non-Fiction, 3) Fiction, 4) Musical Productions, 5) Radio Scripts, and 6) Cisco Houston Project.
When possible, folders are arranged within series and subseries in alphabetical order by file title, and within folders in chronological order with undated items at the top.
Biographical / Historical:
Lee Hays (1914-1981) was an influential American singer, songwriter, author, and activist. His legacy, both literary and musical, emphasizes the dynamic relationship between traditional culture and contemporary events and issues. As is clear from his essay "The Folk Song Bridge", Hays conceived of "folk music" as a living, breathing "process". Born in Arkansas in 1914 to a Methodist preacher, Hays' first experiences with music revolved around the church. His political awakening came later, when he returned to Arkansas from Ohio in 1934. Under the wing of mentors such as Claude Williams and Zilphia Horton (maiden name: Zilphia Johnson), Hays began to fight for the cause of sharecroppers and union workers. His musical ability and passion for social justice came together as he used music to represent the voice of labor, replacing the religious motifs of traditional and gospel songs with pro-union themes.
Upon moving to the North in 1940, Hays met Pete Seeger, another musician of the Folk Revival. Hays and Seeger shared the common goal of spreading political topical songs, and their collaborations with Woody Guthrie and Millard Lampell led to the creation of the Almanac Singers the same year. Later, the four band members, along with other musicians such as Burl Ives and Sis Cunningham, established the People's Songs organization and publication to create and distribute labor songs. However, interpersonal conflicts with members, including Pete Seeger, led to Hays' pressured resignation from both of these endeavors. He moved in with his mentor, Walter Lowenfels, and began to focus more on his writing. Though Hays was a prolific writer whose work spanned articles, essays, short stories, poetry, and songs, he is rarely recognized for his literary achievement. His writing often centered on the social and political themes for which he is best known—labor rights, racism, poverty and inequality—and used vernacular culture and narrative to address those problems.
Seeger and Hays eventually made amends, and in 1948 they formed The Weavers with Fred Hellerman and Ronnie Gilbert, bringing music of the Folk Revival to a national audience. However, as the Red Scare impacted the American political climate into the 1950s, the Weavers were blacklisted and ultimately had to disband. Though he was under investigation by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and had no steady income, Hays continued to write both fiction and non-fiction during the three year blacklisting. In 1955, the Weavers finally reunited for a highly successful revival under manager Harold C. Leventhal, but as years passed, the group split up again, and Hays began to focus on other projects. It was at this time that he produced the bulk of his memoirs, began a project on Cisco Houston, and recorded folk music for children with his group The Baby Sitters. In 1980, the Weavers reunited for a concert in Carnegie Hall and Hays' last performance with them was in 1981. Hays died in 1981 as a result of diabetic cardiovascular disease.
Provenance:
The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage acquired the "Lee Hays Archives" in 1992 as a donation from Harold C. Leventhal and Doris Kaplan, who acquired the collection upon Lee Hays' death in 1981. The donation included materials produced by Lee Hays, as well as materials of interest to him that were found in his possession.
Restrictions:
Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at (202) 633-7322 or rinzlerarchives@si.edu for additional information.
This collection has been digitized and a majority of its content has been made available online for research and educational purposes. Online access to select materials is not available due to privacy or rights concerns.
Rights:
Copyright restrictions apply. Contact archives staff for additional information.
Restrictions may apply concerning the use, duplication, or publication of items in these collections. Consult the archivists for additional information.
Topic:
Political ballads and songs -- United States Search this
Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at (202) 633-7322 or rinzlerarchives@si.edu for additional information.
This collection has been digitized and a majority of its content has been made available online for research and educational purposes. Online access to select materials is not available due to privacy or rights concerns.
Collection Rights:
Copyright restrictions apply. Contact archives staff for additional information.
Restrictions may apply concerning the use, duplication, or publication of items in these collections. Consult the archivists for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Lee Hays papers, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at (202) 633-7322 or rinzlerarchives@si.edu for additional information.
This collection has been digitized and a majority of its content has been made available online for research and educational purposes. Online access to select materials is not available due to privacy or rights concerns.
Collection Rights:
Copyright restrictions apply. Contact archives staff for additional information.
Restrictions may apply concerning the use, duplication, or publication of items in these collections. Consult the archivists for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Lee Hays papers, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at (202) 633-7322 or rinzlerarchives@si.edu for additional information.
This collection has been digitized and a majority of its content has been made available online for research and educational purposes. Online access to select materials is not available due to privacy or rights concerns.
Collection Rights:
Copyright restrictions apply. Contact archives staff for additional information.
Restrictions may apply concerning the use, duplication, or publication of items in these collections. Consult the archivists for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Lee Hays papers, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at (202) 633-7322 or rinzlerarchives@si.edu for additional information.
This collection has been digitized and a majority of its content has been made available online for research and educational purposes. Online access to select materials is not available due to privacy or rights concerns.
Collection Rights:
Copyright restrictions apply. Contact archives staff for additional information.
Restrictions may apply concerning the use, duplication, or publication of items in these collections. Consult the archivists for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Lee Hays papers, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at (202) 633-7322 or rinzlerarchives@si.edu for additional information.
This collection has been digitized and a majority of its content has been made available online for research and educational purposes. Online access to select materials is not available due to privacy or rights concerns.
Collection Rights:
Copyright restrictions apply. Contact archives staff for additional information.
Restrictions may apply concerning the use, duplication, or publication of items in these collections. Consult the archivists for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Lee Hays papers, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at (202) 633-7322 or rinzlerarchives@si.edu for additional information.
This collection has been digitized and a majority of its content has been made available online for research and educational purposes. Online access to select materials is not available due to privacy or rights concerns.
Collection Rights:
Copyright restrictions apply. Contact archives staff for additional information.
Restrictions may apply concerning the use, duplication, or publication of items in these collections. Consult the archivists for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Lee Hays papers, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at (202) 633-7322 or rinzlerarchives@si.edu for additional information.
This collection has been digitized and a majority of its content has been made available online for research and educational purposes. Online access to select materials is not available due to privacy or rights concerns.
Collection Rights:
Copyright restrictions apply. Contact archives staff for additional information.
Restrictions may apply concerning the use, duplication, or publication of items in these collections. Consult the archivists for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Lee Hays papers, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at (202) 633-7322 or rinzlerarchives@si.edu for additional information.
This collection has been digitized and a majority of its content has been made available online for research and educational purposes. Online access to select materials is not available due to privacy or rights concerns.
Collection Rights:
Copyright restrictions apply. Contact archives staff for additional information.
Restrictions may apply concerning the use, duplication, or publication of items in these collections. Consult the archivists for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Lee Hays papers, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at (202) 633-7322 or rinzlerarchives@si.edu for additional information.
This collection has been digitized and a majority of its content has been made available online for research and educational purposes. Online access to select materials is not available due to privacy or rights concerns.
Collection Rights:
Copyright restrictions apply. Contact archives staff for additional information.
Restrictions may apply concerning the use, duplication, or publication of items in these collections. Consult the archivists for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Lee Hays papers, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at (202) 633-7322 or rinzlerarchives@si.edu for additional information.
This collection has been digitized and a majority of its content has been made available online for research and educational purposes. Online access to select materials is not available due to privacy or rights concerns.
Collection Rights:
Copyright restrictions apply. Contact archives staff for additional information.
Restrictions may apply concerning the use, duplication, or publication of items in these collections. Consult the archivists for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Lee Hays papers, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at (202) 633-7322 or rinzlerarchives@si.edu for additional information.
This collection has been digitized and a majority of its content has been made available online for research and educational purposes. Online access to select materials is not available due to privacy or rights concerns.
Collection Rights:
Copyright restrictions apply. Contact archives staff for additional information.
Restrictions may apply concerning the use, duplication, or publication of items in these collections. Consult the archivists for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Lee Hays papers, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at (202) 633-7322 or rinzlerarchives@si.edu for additional information.
This collection has been digitized and a majority of its content has been made available online for research and educational purposes. Online access to select materials is not available due to privacy or rights concerns.
Collection Rights:
Copyright restrictions apply. Contact archives staff for additional information.
Restrictions may apply concerning the use, duplication, or publication of items in these collections. Consult the archivists for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Lee Hays papers, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
