American Rock&Roll Oral History Project

Phil Everly died recently, and his death emphasized a sad reality: every year, we lose more of the great musicians who made the music that changed the world in the '50s, '60s, and '70s. The American Rock n' Roll Oral History (A.R.R.O.H.) Project is an attempt to capture first hand, on audio and video, the living history of American Rock n' Roll.

In my 25 years as a broadcaster and podcaster, the shows that have had the most impact have been the episodes that featured musicians telling their own stories, relating the history of their old bands and long-lost 45s. While these stories all have certain elements in common, each one is unique. Through my regional rock n' roll history shows, "Florida Rocks Again!" and "Mal Thursday's Texas Tyme Machine," I have featured first-person narratives from such artists as Ray Charles, Roy Head, and Joe "King" Carrasco, as well as the true tales of '60s garage bands like The Nightcrawlers, We The People, and The Wig.

The A.R.R.O.H. Project hopes to interview over 100 musicians from the rock n' roll era, individually and in groups, in 2014. Our $40,000 goal represents the minimum amount needed for a two-person crew to travel the highways, byways, and backwaters of this vast country for three months. Also, the budget will allow for stipends to be paid to local documentarians who may have easier access to a given subject. The end result will be a permanently archived collection of living testaments to rock n' roll told by the people who made the music.

Your donation will help to ensure that this vital oral history will be recorded for posterity, for future generations, and for the love of rock n' roll.

Mal Thursday