Boise State University Special Collections and Archives
Rosalie Sorrels Papers
ICA 1
21 linear feet
25 boxes
1950-2017
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.
English
.
Collection is available for research.
The Rosalie Sorrels Papers were donated by her family in 2022.
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.
[item description], Rosalie Sorrels Papers, Box [number], Folder [number], Boise State University Special Collections and Archives.
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.
Sorrels, Rosalie
Music
Musicians
Idaho--Songs and music
Abortion
Poetry
Poets, American
Women--Idaho
Music
Idaho
Civic Activism
Folklore and Folklife
Women
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Cowboy poetry
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Personal
Awards and Honors
1985-2007
1
1
Birthday Book
1993
1
2
Calendars & Notebook
1
3
Calendars & Notebook
1
4
Celebration of Life
2017-07-09
1
5
Correspondence
2001-2003
1
6
Correspondence
2001-2003
1
7
Correspondence
1991-2013
1
8
Correspondence
2000-2014
2
1
Correspondence
1982-2013
2
2
Correspondence
1979-1991
2
3
Correspondence
1982-2011
2
4
Correspondence
1970-2016
2
5
Correspondence-NEA National Heritage Foundation
1994
2
6
Correspondence-UC Santa Cruz
2000-2012
2
7
Personal
3
1
Photos
3
2
Photos
3
3
Photos
3
4
Scrapbook
3
5
Buttons, pins, and leather bag
24
Photos, posters, memorabilia
25
Music Career and Performers
2
American Federation of Musicans of the United States and Canada
1999-2001
3
6
Albums
3
7
Albums
4
1
Albums
4
2
American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers
1976-2010
4
3
Correspondence
1976-2017
4
4
Festival Records/Aural Tradition Records
1986-1992
4
5
Flying Fish Records
1982-1983
4
6
Folk Legacy Records
1969-1980
4
7
Folklore Music
1977
4
8
Folklore Productions
1998-2016
4
9
Frontiers
1997
4
10
The Grammy Awards
2009
4
11
Green Linnet Records
1980-2001
4
12
Green Linnet Records
1980-2001
4
13
Grimes Creek Music
1976-2016
5
1
Heidi-Ho Music
1983
5
2
An Imaginary Christmas in Idaho
1995-1997
5
3
North American Traveling Musicians Union
2001-2004
5
4
Oasis CD & Cassette Duplication
5
5
Other Music, Inc.
1978-1983
5
6
Philo/The Rounder Records Group
1975-2001
5
7
Red House Records
1996-2016
5
8
Red House Records Calendar
2013
5
9
Sire/Geordie Music Publishing/Blue Horizon Records
1970-1980
5
10
Sound Exchange
2009-2012
5
11
Smithsonian Folkways
2008-2018
5
12
Summit Films
1971
5
13
Timpanogas Publishing
1970
5
14
Way Out in Idaho
5
15
Performances
1958
5
16
Performances
1961
5
17
Performances
1963
5
18
Performances
1967
5
19
Performances
1968
5
20
Performances
1969
5
21
Performances
1970
5
22
Performances
1971
5
23
Performances
1972
5
24
Performances
1973
5
25
Performances
1974
5
26
Performances
1975
5
27
Performances
1976
5
28
Performances
1977
6
1
Performances
1978
6
2
Performances
1979
6
3
Performances
1980
6
4
Performances
1981
6
5
Performances
1982
6
6
Performances
1983
6
7
Performances
1984
6
8
Performances
1985
6
9
Performances
1986
6
10
Performances
1987
6
11
Performances
1988
6
12
Performances
1989
6
13
Performances
1990
6
14
Performances
1991
6
15
Performances
1992
6
16
Performances
1993
6
17
Performances
1994
6
18
Performances
1995
6
19
Performances
1996
7
1
Performances
1997
7
2
Performances
1998
7
3
Performances
1999
7
4
Performances
2000
7
5
Performances
2001
7
6
Performances
2002
7
7
Performances
2003
7
8
Performances
2004
7
9
Performances
2005
7
10
Performances
2006
7
11
Performances
2007
7
12
Performances
2008
7
13
Performances
2009
7
14
Performances
2010
7
15
Performances
2011
8
1
Performances
8
2
Newspapers & Music Publication (Publicity)
23
Oscar Zeta Acosta
8
3
Peter Alsop
8
4
David Amram
8
5
Sandy Anderson
8
6
Rick Ardinger
8
7
Artis the Spoonman
8
8
Joan Baez
8
9
Aly Bain
8
10
Eddie Balchowsky
8
11
Luke Baldwin
8
12
The Beats
8
13
Phil Behymer
1981-1983
8
14
Lead Belly
1992-1995
8
15
Robert Bly
8
16
Gordon Bok
1983
8
17
Cinde Borup
8
18
Peter Bowen
8
19
Boys of the Lough
1992
8
20
Sandy Bradley and the Small Wonder String Band
8
21
Bread & Roses
2003
8
22
Anne Bredon
8
23
Gwendolyn Brooks
1945
8
24
Café Lena
8
25
Guy Carawan
8
26
Rosphine Coby
8
27
Ry Cooder
1979
8
28
Peter Coyote
8
29
Robert Creeley
8
30
Dale Crider
8
31
Agnes Cunningham
2004
8
32
Larry Davidson
2011
8
33
Sam Day
1991
8
34
Carol Denney
8
35
Ed Dorn
8
36
George Drew
8
37
Niranjan Dudani
8
38
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
8
39
Charles Spencer Erte
1970
8
40
Chris Felver
2013
9
1
Judy Fjell
9
2
Mary Gauthier
2005
9
3
James Ballard Gill
2003
9
4
Joe Glazer
2001
9
5
Larry Goodell
1985
9
6
Steve Goodman
2000
6
7
Nanci Griffith
9
8
Chuck Guilford
9
9
Sarah Ogan Gunning
1965
9
10
Jesus Guridi
9
11
Arlo Guthrie
1988
9
12
Woody Guthrie
9
13
Yip Harburg
1996
9
14
Richard Harding
9
15
Harmony Sisters
1980-1982
9
16
Bobbie Louise Hawkins
1979
9
17
Barbara Higbie
1995
9
18
Tish Hinojosa
2008
9
19
Laura Ellen Hopper
2007
9
20
Robinson Jeffers
9
21
Edward Joubert
7
22
Gary Kanter
9
23
William "Bill" Kennedy
9
24
Ken Kesey
9
25
Ken Kesey
9
26
Estelle Klein
9
27
Zig Knoll
1996
9
28
Spider John Koerner
1999
9
29
Abbey Lincoln
2003
9
30
Lark Lucas
9
31
Kitty Margolis
10
1
Jerry Martien
10
2
Timothy Mason
1986
10
3
David Massengill
10
4
Ray Obermayr
10
5
John Paul O'Connor
10
6
Tillie Olsen
10
7
Joel Oppenheimer
10
8
Vern Partlow
10
9
Kenneth Patchen
10
10
Tom Paxton
1992
10
11
Larry Penn
1978
10
12
Faith Petric
10
13
Utah Phillips
10
14
Jerry and Bev Praver
10
15
John Prine
10
16
Melanie Ray
10
17
Jean Redpath
1973
10
18
Naomi Replansky
10
19
Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping
10
20
Malvina Reynolds
10
21
Paul Robeson
10
22
Gamble Rogers
10
23
Tom Russell
10
24
Don Scaletta Trio
10
25
Nancy Schimmel
10
26
Will Schmeckpeper
2006
11
1
Pete Seeger
2005
11
2
Gino Sky
11
3
Gino Sky
11
4
Patrick Sky
11
5
Janet C. Smith
11
6
Sukay
11
7
George Miksch Sutton
11
8
Nathaniel Tarn
11
9
Chip Taylor
1979
11
10
Studs Terkel
1988
11
11
John Thibeau
1969
11
12
Hunter Thompson
11
13
Izzi Tooinsky
11
14
Trinidad Tripoli Steelband
11
15
Trout Fishing in America
1997
11
16
Tom Trusky
11
17
Harry Tuft
11
18
The Twelve Moons Storytellers
11
19
Frances Tyson
1982
11
20
Chucho Valdes
1999
11
21
Jane Voss
11
22
Loudon Wainwright III
1999
11
23
George Wald
1997
11
24
Jerry Jeff Walker
1985
11
25
Doc and Merle Watson
11
26
Wavy Gravy
11
27
Kristen Wetterhahn
1988
11
28
Gary White
11
29
Whiteis
11
30
David Wilcox
11
31
Richard Wilkie
1967
11
32
Hank Williams
12
1
Wobblie Joe's
12
2
Kate Wolf
12
3
Thomas Wolfe
12
4
Phil Woods
12
5
Joan Woodward
1983
12
6
Stan Young
1993-1994
12
7
Paul Zarzyski
12
8
Writings About/To Rosalie Sorrels
1985-1990
12
9
Africa
12
10
China
12
11
Irish
12
12
Latino
12
13
Mormon
12
14
Music Magazines
12
15
Ojibwe
12
16
Sheet Music
12
17
Sing Out!
12
18
Music Magazines
13
1
Photographs
13
2
Sheet Music
13
3
Sheet Music
13
4
Songs and Poems about Parents and Children
13
5
Songs (Collected)
13
6
Activism and Interests
3
Abortion
13
7
Agriculture and Ranching
13
8
And the Band Broke Up--Matthew Kramer and Stuart Yahm
2000
13
9
Apocalypse
14
1
Art
14
2
Art Events
14
3
Blues
14
4
Boise Quilt Project
14
5
Bookstores and Book Events
14
6
Bulgaria Village Songs
14
7
Cafes and Restaurants
14
8
Cartoons and Humor
14
9
Civil and Human Rights
14
10
Cowboy Poetry
14
11
Drugs
14
12
Environmental Issues
14
13
Film
14
14
Fishtrap Anthology
1991-1992
14
15
Folk Festivals
14
16
Folk Music
15
1
The Folknik
1969
15
2
The Greenfield Review
1970
15
3
Grump Magazine
15
4
The Hightower Lowdown
2001-2003
15
5
Hunting
15
6
Idaho
15
7
Idaho Arts Journal
15
8
Idaho Centennial
15
9
Idaho Women Authors
15
10
Jazz
15
11
Labor
15
12
Laura Ellen Hopper
2007
15
13
Larry Craig
2006-2007
15
14
Leftist Politics
15
15
Lion's Head Saloon, New York
1996
16
1
Millie Wiggins
16
2
Molly Ivins
16
3
Music Instruction
16
4
Native Americans
16
5
Nelson Mandela
2013
16
6
Nuclear
16
7
Peace Workers
16
8
Poems, Quotes, and Notes
16
9
Poems, Quotes, and Notes
16
10
Poetry
16
11
Politics
16
12
Prisons
17
1
Storytelling Festivals
17
2
Sun Valley Writers Conference
17
3
Theater Events
17
4
Tickets
17
5
Travel
17
6
Upriver Downriver
17
7
War and Military
17
8
Writers
17
9
Women
17
10
Audiovisual
4
Rosalie Sorrels VHS Tapes
18
Rosalie Sorrels VHS, DVD, and Studio Master Tapes
19
Rosalie Sorrels Music CD Collection
20
Rosalie Sorrels Audio Cassette Collection
21
Rosalie Sorrels Concert Posters and Publicity
22