Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Rosalie Sorrels Papers, 1950-2017
Overview of the Collection
- Title
- Rosalie Sorrels Papers
- Dates
- 1950-2017 (inclusive)19502017
- Quantity
- 18.5 linear feet, (23 boxes)
- Collection Number
- ICA 1
- Summary
- The Rosalie Sorrels Papers represent her singing and songwriting career. The material includes, among other things, correspondence with friends, mementos from her travels, concert posters, home and live recordings, photographs, recording and royalty contracts, poems, prose, and sources of inspiration. The Rosalie Sorrels material is part of the Idaho Folklife Archives, a partnership between Special Collections and Archives at Boise State University's Albertsons Library and the Folk and Traditional Arts Program at the Idaho Commission on the Arts.
- Repository
-
Boise State University Library, Special Collections and Archives
Special Collections and Archives
1910 University Drive
Boise ID
83725
Telephone: 2084263990
archives@boisestate.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is available for research.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Idaho's Matriarch of Folk Music, Rosalie Sorrels, was born in Boise on June 24, 1933. She spent six decades collecting traditional songs, writing her own, performing them live at venues as large as the Newport Folk Festival and as small as her own backyard. Along the way she amassed volumes of friends and stories about life on the road. Though she crisscrossed the country countless times during her career, her heart never strayed too far from the Gem State and the log home her father built on Grimes Creek near Idaho City.
Single mother of five, travelin' lady, activist, storyteller, ethnographer, historian, and friend to many, Rosalie's resume was long and illustrious. Counted among her close friends were Hunter S. Thompson, Pete Seeger, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, Ken Kesey, Wavy Gravy, Malvina Reynolds, Robert Creeley, Studs Terkel, Gino Sky, and Joan Baez. She helped revive the career of songwriter and labor activist Bruce "Utah" Phillips, a lifelong friend. Her own activism included women's rights, prison reform, and the environment.
Rosalie Sorrels died June 11, 2017.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Rosalie Sorrels Papers represent her singing and songwriting career. The material includes, among other things, correspondence with friends, mementos from her travels, concert posters, home and live recordings, photographs, recording and royalty contracts, poems, prose, and sources of inspiration.
The collection is organized into four series. Series 1, Personal, is primarily correspondence with friends and family as well as photos. Series 2, Music Career and Performers, includes contracts and correspondence with music publishing companies, materials related to artists she admired or performed with, and articles and posters of her performances. Series 3, Activism and Interests, are articles, publications, brochures, and other materials related to her activist activities and other topics of interest. Series 4, Audiovisual, are audio and video recordings of performances, album releases, documentaries, and other items of Sorrels' performances and other musicians.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
[item description], Rosalie Sorrels Papers, Box [number], Folder [number], Boise State University Special Collections and Archives.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
PersonalReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | Awards and Honors |
1985-2007 |
| 1 | 2 | Birthday Book |
1993 |
| 1 | 3 | Calendars & Notebook |
|
| 1 | 4 | Calendars & Notebook |
|
| 1 | 5 | Celebration of Life |
2017-07-09 |
| 1 | 6 | Correspondence |
2001-2003 |
| 1 | 7 | Correspondence |
2001-2003 |
| Box | 8 | Correspondence |
1991-2013 |
| 2 | 1 | Correspondence |
2000-2014 |
| 2 | 2 | Correspondence |
1982-2013 |
| 2 | 3 | Correspondence |
1979-1991 |
| 2 | 4 | Correspondence |
1982-2011 |
| 2 | 5 | Correspondence |
1970-2016 |
| 2 | 6 | Correspondence-NEA National Heritage Foundation |
1994 |
| 2 | 7 | Correspondence-UC Santa Cruz |
2000-2012 |
| 3 | 1 | Personal |
|
| 3 | 2 | Photos |
|
| 3 | 3 | Photos |
|
| 3 | 4 | Photos |
|
| 3 | 5 | Scrapbook |
|
2: Music Career and PerformersReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 3 | 6 | American Federation of Musicans of the United States and Canada |
1999-2001 |
| 3 | 7 | Albums |
|
| 4 | 1 | Albums |
|
| 4 | 2 | Albums |
|
| 4 | 3 | American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers |
1976-2010 |
| 4 | 4 | Correspondence |
1976-2017 |
| 4 | 5 | Festival Records/Aural Tradition Records |
1986-1992 |
| 4 | 6 | Flying Fish Records |
1982-1983 |
| 4 | 7 | Folk Legacy Records |
1969-1980 |
| 4 | 8 | Folklore Music |
1977 |
| 4 | 9 | Folklore Productions |
1998-2016 |
| 4 | 10 | Frontiers |
1997 |
| 4 | 11 | The Grammy Awards |
2009 |
| 4 | 12 | Green Linnet Records |
1980-2001 |
| 4 | 13 | Green Linnet Records |
1980-2001 |
| 5 | 1 | Grimes Creek Music |
1976-2016 |
| 5 | 2 | Heidi-Ho Music |
1983 |
| 5 | 3 | An Imaginary Christmas in Idaho |
1995-1997 |
| 5 | 4 | North American Traveling Musicians Union |
2001-2004 |
| 5 | 5 | Oasis CD & Cassette Duplication |
|
| 5 | 6 | Other Music, Inc. |
1978-1983 |
| 5 | 7 | Philo/The Rounder Records Group |
1975-2001 |
| 5 | 8 | Red House Records |
1996-2016 |
| 5 | 9 | Red House Records Calendar |
2013 |
| 5 | 10 | Sire/Geordie Music Publishing/Blue Horizon Records |
1970-1980 |
| 5 | 11 | Sound Exchange |
2009-2012 |
| 5 | 12 | Smithsonian Folkways |
2008-2018 |
| 5 | 13 | Summit Films |
1971 |
| 5 | 14 | Timpanogas Publishing |
1970 |
| 5 | 15 | Way Out in Idaho |
|
| 5 | 16 | Performances |
1958 |
| 5 | 17 | Performances |
1961 |
| 5 | 18 | Performances |
1963 |
| 5 | 19 | Performances |
1967 |
| 5 | 20 | Performances |
1968 |
| 5 | 21 | Performances |
1969 |
| 5 | 22 | Performances |
1970 |
| 5 | 23 | Performances |
1971 |
| 5 | 24 | Performances |
1972 |
| 5 | 25 | Performances |
1973 |
| 5 | 26 | Performances |
1974 |
| 5 | 27 | Performances |
1975 |
| 5 | 28 | Performances |
1976 |
| 6 | 1 | Performances |
1977 |
| 6 | 2 | Performances |
1978 |
| 6 | 3 | Performances |
1979 |
| 6 | 4 | Performances |
1980 |
| 6 | 5 | Performances |
1981 |
| 6 | 6 | Performances |
1982 |
| 6 | 7 | Performances |
1983 |
| 6 | 8 | Performances |
1984 |
| 6 | 9 | Performances |
1985 |
| 6 | 10 | Performances |
1986 |
| 6 | 11 | Performances |
1987 |
| 6 | 12 | Performances |
1988 |
| 6 | 13 | Performances |
1989 |
| 6 | 14 | Performances |
1990 |
| 6 | 15 | Performances |
1991 |
| 6 | 16 | Performances |
1992 |
| 6 | 17 | Performances |
1993 |
| 6 | 18 | Performances |
1994 |
| 6 | 19 | Performances |
1995 |
| 7 | 1 | Performances |
1996 |
| 7 | 2 | Performances |
1997 |
| 7 | 3 | Performances |
1998 |
| 7 | 4 | Performances |
1999 |
| 7 | 5 | Performances |
2000 |
| 7 | 6 | Performances |
2001 |
| 7 | 7 | Performances |
2002 |
| 7 | 8 | Performances |
2003 |
| 7 | 9 | Performances |
2004 |
| 7 | 10 | Performances |
2005 |
| 7 | 11 | Performances |
2006 |
| 7 | 12 | Performances |
2007 |
| 7 | 13 | Performances |
2008 |
| 7 | 14 | Performances |
2009 |
| 7 | 15 | Performances |
2010 |
| 8 | 1 | Performances |
2011 |
| 8 | 2 | Performances |
|
| 23 | Newspapers & Music Publication (Publicity) |
||
| Folder | |||
| 8 | 3 | Oscar Zeta Acosta |
|
| 8 | 4 | Peter Alsop |
|
| 8 | 5 | David Amram |
|
| 8 | 6 | Sandy Anderson |
|
| 8 | 7 | Rick Ardinger |
|
| 8 | 8 | Artis the Spoonman |
|
| 8 | 9 | Joan Baez |
|
| 8 | 10 | Aly Bain |
|
| 8 | 11 | Eddie Balchowsky |
|
| 8 | 12 | Luke Baldwin |
|
| 8 | 13 | The Beats |
|
| 8 | 14 | Phil Behymer |
1981-1983 |
| 8 | 15 | Lead Belly |
1992-1995 |
| 8 | 16 | Robert Bly |
|
| 8 | 17 | Gordon Bok |
1983 |
| 8 | 18 | Cinde Borup |
|
| 8 | 19 | Peter Bowen |
|
| 8 | 20 | Boys of the Lough |
1992 |
| 8 | 21 | Sandy Bradley and the Small Wonder String Band |
|
| 8 | 22 | Bread & Roses |
2003 |
| 8 | 23 | Anne Bredon |
|
| 8 | 24 | Gwendolyn Brooks |
1945 |
| 8 | 25 | Café Lena |
|
| 8 | 26 | Guy Carawan |
|
| 8 | 27 | Rosphine Coby |
|
| 8 | 28 | Ry Cooder |
1979 |
| 8 | 29 | Peter Coyote |
|
| 8 | 30 | Robert Creeley |
|
| 8 | 31 | Dale Crider |
|
| 8 | 32 | Agnes Cunningham |
2004 |
| 8 | 33 | Larry Davidson |
2011 |
| 8 | 34 | Sam Day |
1991 |
| 8 | 35 | Carol Denney |
|
| 8 | 36 | Ed Dorn |
|
| 8 | 37 | George Drew |
|
| 8 | 38 | Niranjan Dudani |
|
| 8 | 39 | Ramblin' Jack Elliott |
|
| 8 | 40 | Charles Spencer Erte |
1970 |
| 9 | 1 | Chris Felver |
2013 |
| 9 | 2 | Judy Fjell |
|
| 9 | 3 | Mary Gauthier |
2005 |
| 9 | 4 | James Ballard Gill |
2003 |
| 9 | 5 | Joe Glazer |
2001 |
| 9 | 6 | Larry Goodell |
1985 |
| 6 | 7 | Steve Goodman |
2000 |
| 9 | 8 | Nanci Griffith |
|
| 9 | 9 | Chuck Guilford |
|
| 9 | 10 | Sarah Ogan Gunning |
1965 |
| 9 | 11 | Jesus Guridi |
|
| 9 | 12 | Arlo Guthrie |
1988 |
| 9 | 13 | Woody Guthrie |
|
| 9 | 14 | Yip Harburg |
1996 |
| 9 | 15 | Richard Harding |
|
| 9 | 16 | Harmony Sisters |
1980-1982 |
| 9 | 17 | Bobbie Louise Hawkins |
1979 |
| 9 | 18 | Barbara Higbie |
1995 |
| 9 | 19 | Tish Hinojosa |
2008 |
| 9 | 20 | Laura Ellen Hopper |
2007 |
| 9 | 21 | Robinson Jeffers |
|
| 7 | 22 | Edward Joubert |
|
| 9 | 23 | Gary Kanter |
|
| 9 | 24 | William "Bill" Kennedy |
|
| 9 | 25 | Ken Kesey |
|
| 9 | 26 | Ken Kesey |
|
| 9 | 27 | Estelle Klein |
|
| 9 | 28 | Zig Knoll |
1996 |
| 9 | 29 | Spider John Koerner |
1999 |
| 9 | 30 | Abbey Lincoln |
2003 |
| 9 | 31 | Lark Lucas |
|
| 10 | 1 | Kitty Margolis |
|
| 10 | 2 | Jerry Martien |
|
| 10 | 3 | Timothy Mason |
1986 |
| 10 | 4 | David Massengill |
|
| 10 | 5 | Ray Obermayr |
|
| 10 | 6 | John Paul O'Connor |
|
| 10 | 7 | Tillie Olsen |
|
| 10 | 8 | Joel Oppenheimer |
|
| 10 | 9 | Vern Partlow |
|
| 10 | 10 | Kenneth Patchen |
|
| 10 | 11 | Tom Paxton |
1992 |
| 10 | 12 | Larry Penn |
1978 |
| 10 | 13 | Faith Petric |
|
| 10 | 14 | Utah Phillips |
|
| 10 | 15 | Jerry and Bev Praver |
|
| 10 | 16 | John Prine |
|
| 10 | 17 | Melanie Ray |
|
| 10 | 18 | Jean Redpath |
1973 |
| 10 | 19 | Naomi Replansky |
|
| 10 | 20 | Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping |
|
| 10 | 21 | Malvina Reynolds |
|
| 10 | 22 | Paul Robeson |
|
| 10 | 23 | Gamble Rogers |
|
| 10 | 24 | Tom Russell |
|
| 10 | 25 | Don Scaletta Trio |
|
| 10 | 26 | Nancy Schimmel |
|
| 11 | 1 | Will Schmeckpeper |
2006 |
| 11 | 2 | Pete Seeger |
2005 |
| 11 | 3 | Gino Sky |
|
| 11 | 4 | Gino Sky |
|
| 11 | 5 | Patrick Sky |
|
| 11 | 6 | Janet C. Smith |
|
| 11 | 7 | Sukay |
|
| 11 | 8 | George Miksch Sutton |
|
| 11 | 9 | Nathaniel Tarn |
|
| 11 | 10 | Chip Taylor |
1979 |
| 11 | 11 | Studs Terkel |
1988 |
| 11 | 12 | John Thibeau |
1969 |
| 11 | 13 | Hunter Thompson |
|
| 11 | 14 | Izzi Tooinsky |
|
| 11 | 15 | Trinidad Tripoli Steelband |
|
| 11 | 16 | Trout Fishing in America |
1997 |
| 11 | 17 | Tom Trusky |
|
| 11 | 18 | Harry Tuft |
|
| 11 | 19 | The Twelve Moons Storytellers |
|
| 11 | 20 | Frances Tyson |
1982 |
| 11 | 21 | Chucho Valdes |
1999 |
| 11 | 22 | Jane Voss |
|
| 11 | 23 | Loudon Wainwright III |
1999 |
| 11 | 24 | George Wald |
1997 |
| 11 | 25 | Jerry Jeff Walker |
1985 |
| 11 | 26 | Doc and Merle Watson |
|
| 11 | 27 | Wavy Gravy |
|
| 11 | 28 | Kristen Wetterhahn |
1988 |
| 11 | 29 | Gary White |
|
| 11 | 30 | Whiteis |
|
| 11 | 31 | David Wilcox |
|
| 11 | 32 | Richard Wilkie |
1967 |
| 12 | 1 | Hank Williams |
|
| 12 | 2 | Wobblie Joe's |
|
| 12 | 3 | Kate Wolf |
|
| 12 | 4 | Thomas Wolfe |
|
| 12 | 5 | Phil Woods |
|
| 12 | 6 | Joan Woodward |
1983 |
| 12 | 7 | Stan Young |
1993-1994 |
| 12 | 8 | Paul Zarzyski |
|
| 12 | 9 | Writings About/To Rosalie Sorrels |
1985-1990 |
| 12 | 10 | Africa |
|
| 12 | 11 | China |
|
| 12 | 12 | Irish |
|
| 12 | 13 | Latino |
|
| 12 | 14 | Mormon |
|
| 12 | 15 | Music Magazines |
|
| 12 | 16 | Ojibwe |
|
| 12 | 17 | Sheet Music |
|
| 12 | 18 | Sing Out! |
|
| 13 | 1 | Music Magazines |
|
| 13 | 2 | Photographs |
|
| 13 | 3 | Sheet Music |
|
| 13 | 4 | Sheet Music |
|
| 13 | 5 | Songs and Poems about Parents and Children |
|
| 13 | 6 | Songs (Collected) |
|
3: Activism and InterestsReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 13 | 7 | Abortion |
|
| 13 | 8 | Agriculture and Ranching |
|
| 13 | 9 | And the Band Broke Up--Matthew Kramer and Stuart Yahm |
2000 |
| 14 | 1 | Apocalypse |
|
| 14 | 2 | Art |
|
| 14 | 3 | Art Events |
|
| 14 | 4 | Blues |
|
| 14 | 5 | Boise Quilt Project |
|
| 14 | 6 | Bookstores and Book Events |
|
| 14 | 7 | Bulgaria Village Songs |
|
| 14 | 8 | Cafes and Restaurants |
|
| 14 | 9 | Cartoons and Humor |
|
| 14 | 10 | Civil and Human Rights |
|
| 14 | 11 | Cowboy Poetry |
|
| 14 | 12 | Drugs |
|
| 14 | 13 | Environmental Issues |
|
| 14 | 14 | Film |
|
| 14 | 15 | Fishtrap Anthology |
1991-1992 |
| 14 | 16 | Folk Festivals |
|
| 15 | 1 | Folk Music |
|
| 15 | 2 | The Folknik |
1969 |
| 15 | 3 | The Greenfield Review |
1970 |
| 15 | 4 | Grump Magazine |
|
| 15 | 5 | The Hightower Lowdown |
2001-2003 |
| 15 | 6 | Hunting |
|
| 15 | 7 | Idaho |
|
| 15 | 8 | Idaho Arts Journal |
|
| 15 | 9 | Idaho Centennial |
|
| 15 | 10 | Idaho Women Authors |
|
| 15 | 11 | Jazz |
|
| 15 | 12 | Labor |
|
| 15 | 13 | Laura Ellen Hopper |
2007 |
| 15 | 14 | Larry Craig |
2006-2007 |
| 15 | 15 | Leftist Politics |
|
| 16 | 1 | Lion's Head Saloon, New York |
1996 |
| 16 | 2 | Millie Wiggins |
|
| 16 | 3 | Molly Ivins |
|
| 16 | 4 | Music Instruction |
|
| 16 | 5 | Native Americans |
|
| 16 | 6 | Nelson Mandela |
2013 |
| 16 | 7 | Nuclear |
|
| 16 | 8 | Peace Workers |
|
| 16 | 9 | Poems, Quotes, and Notes |
|
| 16 | 10 | Poems, Quotes, and Notes |
|
| 16 | 11 | Poetry |
|
| 16 | 12 | Politics |
|
| 17 | 1 | Prisons |
|
| 17 | 2 | Storytelling Festivals |
|
| 17 | 3 | Sun Valley Writers Conference |
|
| 17 | 4 | Theater Events |
|
| 17 | 5 | Tickets |
|
| 17 | 6 | Travel |
|
| 17 | 7 | Upriver Downriver |
|
| 17 | 8 | War and Military |
|
| 17 | 9 | Writers |
|
| 17 | 10 | Women |
|
4: AudiovisualReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description |
|---|---|
| Box | |
| 18 | Rosalie Sorrels VHS Tapes |
| 19 | Rosalie Sorrels VHS, DVD, and Studio Master Tapes |
| 20 | Rosalie Sorrels Music CD Collection |
| 21 | Rosalie Sorrels Audio Cassette Collection |
| 22 | Rosalie Sorrels Concert Posters and Publicity |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
Personal Names
Form or Genre Terms
Cheryl Oestreicher
July 2023
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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