Welcome to the Southern Music Research Center

The Southern Music Research Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization devoted to the documentation, preservation, and public presentation of the American South’s diverse music histories and ongoing forms of musical expression.

The real center of our Center is this website: a public archive of rare photos, rescued recordings, oral history interviews, and other materials. We encourage visitors to get to know our site by browsing our collections -- and to come back often, as we are actively acquiring and adding new material to the site.

You can support our mission and growth by making a financial contribution. To donate materials to the archive, please contact burgin@southernmusicresearch.org.

Recently Added Items

Blues Divas & Kent Burnside at Gip's, 11/8/2008

Blues Divas & Kent Burnside at Gip's, 11/8/08.The night of November 8, 2008, Gip's Place featured a line-up of "Divas," including Elnora Spencer,…

John T. Whatley School Song

Whatley School 1.jpeg

Lyrics and music for the official school song of John T. Whatley Elementary School, Birmingham, Alabama. Opened c. 1960, Whatley Elementary was named…

A Word From DuJour

A word from DuJour, creator of the CONVOS series. Birmingham, Alabama, May 2023.

Flyer: Monster God and Humanicide at the Tip Top Cafe, Huntsville

Frank Heath 33.jpg

Flyer for Monster God and Humanicide at the Tip Top Cafe, Huntsville, Alabama.

Courtesy Frank Heath.

Flyer: Monotonashhfuck, Haste, Caption, Foundation, and Appalachian Spirit Revival at Ramp-n-Speed Skatepark, Trussville

Frank Heath 34.tiff

Flyer for Monotonashhfuck, Haste, Caption, Foundation, and Appalachian Spirit Revival at Ramp-n-Speed Skatepark, Trussville, Alabama.

Courtesy…

Coosa River Singing

Bro Harp : Coosa River 1.mp3

Cassette tape from a Meridian, Mississippi, flea market. On one side, the label reads: “Bro. Harp Leading Singing at Coosa River.” The reverse-side…

Gum Log Church Singing

Gum Log Singing A.mp3

Cassette tape from a Meridian, Mississippi, flea market. Written on the cassette case: "Gum Creek Church Singing." Likely recorded at Gum Creek…

December 1986 Christmas Church Singing

Dec 86 Church Christmas Singing B.mp3

Cassette tape from a Meridian, Mississippi, flea market. Label reads: "Dec. 86 Christmas Church Singers." Church and location are unidentified. Side A…

Meridian Flea Market Tapes

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Unaccompanied gospel hymn singing captured on cassette tape in the 1980s and 1990s. The tapes were purchased from a Meridian, Mississippi, flea market…

Sara Carter Bayes Memorial Issue, Sunny Side Sentinel (1979)

Sara Carter Sunny Side Sentinel cover.jpeg

This April 1979 memorial issue from The Sunny Side Sentinel, official publication of the Carter Family Fan Club, remembers Sara Carter Bayes…