Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Pee Wee King papers
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Pee Wee King papers
- Date
- 1953-1960, 1979, undated (inclusive)
- Creator
- King, Pee Wee, 1914-2000
- Extent
- 0.29 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Letters.
- Country Music
- Musicians -- Correspondence.
- Concert tours
- Television programs
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by subject. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0845: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Pee Wee King papers, 1953-1960, 1979, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Pee Wee King (1914-2000) was born Julius Frank Anthony Kuczynski in Abrams, Wisconsin. In the 1930s, he began making cowboy movies with Gene Autry, and in 1937, he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. King was famous for introducing costumes and special effects to the Grand Ole Opry. In 1936, he married Lydia Hildegard Frank (1917-2011). By the 1940s, King had moved to Louisville, Kentucky where he lived for the remainder of his life. In 1970, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and in 1974, the Country Music Hall of Fame. He wrote more than 400 songs, and recorded over 20 albums and 157 singles; well-known songs of King's include The Tennessee Waltz, Slow Poke, and You Belong to Me.
- American Letters collector Wade Hall (1934-2015) was a native of Union Springs, Alabama. Starting in 1962, he lived in Louisville, where he taught English and chaired the English and Humanities/Arts programs at Kentucky Southern College and Bellarmine University. He also taught at the University of Illinois and the University of Florida. He held degrees from Troy State University (B.S.), the University of Alabama (M.A.), and the University of Illinois (Ph.D.). He served for two years in the U.S. Army in the mid-fifties. Dr. Hall was the author of books, monographs, articles, plays, and reviews relating to Kentucky, Alabama, and Southern history and literature. His most recent books include A Visit with Harlan Hubbard; High Upon a Hill: A History of Bellarmine College; A Song in Native Pastures: Randy Atcher's Life in Country Music; and Waters of Life from Conecuh Ridge.
- Scope and Content
- The Pee Wee King papers (dated 1953-1960, 1979, undated; 0.29 cubic feet; 14 folders, 1 photograph) comprises letters, contracts, and a photograph that document the career of country music artist Pee Wee King in the 1950s. The letters in the collection come from a variety of people and friends in the industry, booking agents, song publishers, lyricists, managers, and advertisers. The letters discuss shopping songs around to different publishers, tour contracts, release dates for albums and singles, television appearances, song offers, performance bookings, cancellations, royalty payments, and finding sponsors. The contracts detail the dates and locations King was engaged to perform and what his pay was for many of the shows. The photograph is an advertisement for a performance by Pee Wee King and the Golden West Cowboys at the Grand Ole Opry.
- The Pee Wee King papers collection is part of the Wade Hall Collection of American Letters, which includes correspondence and diaries from all over North America covering the time period of the Civil to Korean Wars. The materials were collected by Wade Hall and document everyday men and women.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Contents of the Collection
Acuff-Rose Publications letters, 1953-1960
The Billboard Publishing Company letters, 1956-1957
Clem Watkins letters, 1956-1958
Country Music Jubilee letters, 1957-1958, undated
Dave Kaemer to Pee Wee King, 1958, undated
General Artists Corporation letters, 1955-1957
Harry Peebles to Pee Wee King, 1979
Lynch, Hart, and Stockton Advertising Company letters, 1957-1959
West coast tour letters, 1956
West coast tour contracts, 1956
Letters to Pee Wee King, 1956-1958
Letters from Pee Wee King, 1954-1958
Performance contracts, 1957-1958
Papers, 1955-1958
Photograph, undated
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
