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Bobby McMillon Collection, 1832-2021

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

This collection documents the life and career of Bobby McMillon, a white Appalachian musician and storyteller. The collection contains McMillon’s personal and professional correspondence, as well as his extensive writings in genres ranging from stories, to non-fiction, to poetry and songs, to plays and movie treatments. It also contains many songs and stories that Bobby McMillon collected from his family members and others. One area of particular focus in his research and performances was the Frankie Silver story, and the collection contains his own writings, correspondence, and research materials on that topic. The collection includes McMillon’s research materials on other Appalachian history and culture topics, including an extensive section on the genealogy of families in the region. Other materials in the collection document Bobby McMillon’s career as a performer, as well as an Artist-in-Residence in North Carolina schools. The collection contains some photographs of McMillon, as well as recordings made by Bobby McMillon of himself; other musicians, such as Sheila Kay Adams and Marina Trivette; and some family members, including Mae “Maw Maw” Phillips, Lou Brookshire, and Rolf Ellison. Some of these recordings were digitized in 2022 as part of the Bobby McMillon Legacy Project.