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  • Oral History

Bob Pinson

December 31, 1969 OH144 81 min.
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Biography


Country music scholar and record collector. Died 2003. Well-known collector, his collection of early country recordings was acquired by the Country Music Foundation (CMF) in the early 1970s to become the core of the recordings collection housed at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum. CMF staff member 1972-2001. Recognized for his knowledge and scholarship, especially in regard to country recordings prior to 1942. Research editor for Country Music Records: a Discography (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004).

Interview Summary

1978
(1 hour, 21 minutes)
Renowned record collector and music scholar Bob Pinson talks about his start as a collector and his role for the Country Music Foundation (CMF). Discussion includes a brief biographical sketch and the development of his interest in music; his exposure to country music on radio and television; his start as a collector and his first records; his growing interest in the history of the music and artists; working full-time as a collector; a description of the collection he sold to the CMF; the start of his second collection; and comments on his work for the CMF, including his job description and his approach to the acquisition of recorded and printed materials.