Jesse Austin Morris Collection

  1. Resources
  2. View Resource

ArchivalResource

Jesse Austin Morris Collection

1930-2012, bulk 1940-1990

https://mtsu.edu/popmusic/findingaids/pdfaids/JesseMorris.pdf

Research materials collected by Jesse Morris to use for his publication of The Western Swing Journal and other related projects. The manuscript papers consist of handwritten notes, newspaper clippings, articles photocopied from books, journals, newspapers, magazines, correspondence, photographs and webpage printouts. The materials are organized by the artist, location or event they entail. Also included in the collection are books, trade catalogs, serials, performance documents, and sound recordings related to the subjects of western swing, country music, and some early jazz. There are sound recordings, video recordings, artifacts, original sheet music, sheet music photocopies, photographs and postcards in the collection.

22 linear feet of manuscript material including 8 linear feet of Wills Brothers manuscript materials 21 linear feet of manuscript audio/visual materials, 6 linear feet of photographs, including

eng, Latn

Center for Popular Music, Middle Tennessee State University

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 11675696

Center for Popular Music, Middle Tennessee State University

Related Entities

There are 4 Entities related to this resource.

Cooley, Spade, 1910-1969

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63j616n (person)

Donnell Clyde "Spade" Cooley (December 17, 1910 – November 23, 1969) was an American convicted murderer and former Western swing musician, big band leader, actor, and television personality. In 1961 he was arrested and convicted for the April 1961 murder of his second wife, Ella Mae Evans. On August 5, 1968, the California State Adult Authority voted unanimously to parole Cooley on February 22, 1970. He had served less than nine years of a life sentence and was in poor health from heart tro...

Cain’s Dancing Academy (1930-)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w66z042w (corporateBody)

Cain's Dace Academy (Cain's Ballroom) is a historic music venue in Tulsa, Oklahoma that was built in 1924 as a garage for W. Tate Brady's automobiles. Madison W. "Daddy" Cain purchased the building in 1930 and named it Cain's Dance Academy. In 2021, Pollstar ranked Cain's Ballroom at number 13 worldwide for ticket sales at club venues. The venue played a prominent role in the development of western swing in the 1930s and 1940s, when Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys broadcast a near-daily s...

Wills, Johnnie Lee, 1912-1984

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6bq0vt8 (person)

Wills was born in Jewett, Texas, United States, and was the younger brother of Bob Wills. He played banjo with Bob as a member of the Texas Playboys starting in 1934, the year the ensemble began playing on KVOO in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1939, he founded his own group, the Rhythmairs, but returned to the Playboys in 1940 when Bob split the ensemble into two groups, and named Johnnie Lee leader of one of them. Following Bob's move to California in 1940, Johnnie Lee renamed his group Johnnie Lee Wills...

Wills, Bob, 1905-1975

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6456dg9 (person)

James Robert Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975) was an American Western swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader. Considered by music authorities as the founder of Western swing, he was known widely as the King of Western Swing (although Spade Cooley self-promoted the moniker "King of Western Swing" from 1942 to 1969). He was also noted for punctuating his music with his trademark "ah-haa" calls. Wills formed several bands and played radio stations around the South and West until he forme...