[78-L] Who was the first . . .

[rshirer at neb.rr.com]

Hi all,
my first 78 artist doesn't go back all that far.  In the late 80s I had the chance to meet and work with Oscar Brand.  I collaborated with Steve Robinson, who was then the director of the Nebraska Public Radio Network, to write a radio documentary about folklorist Benjamin Botkin, who had taken his doctorate under Louise Pound at the University of Nebraska in the 30s and whose books, records and papers formed the massive and, at that time, only partially cataloged Botkin collection at the UNL library.  I did the research and gathered the music, which I drew from Botkin's collection, and we drafted folk singer and New York radio personality Oscar Brand to come to Lincoln and narrate the show.  The three of us spent a weekend in my record room and wrote, discussed and teased out the script, which Steve then produced, with Oscar narrating, in the studios of KUCV in Lincoln.  Oscar made several Young Peoples' Records.  I have a few in the American Almanac series.  He was a charming guest and a delight to work with.  He borrowed one of my guitars and graciously performed a wonderful set at a party we put on to honor those who had contributed to make the documentary possible.  It was a lot of fun to work with him.  (Steve moved on to a major role at WFMT in Chicago, which I still consider to be one of the finest stations I've ever heard.)
Cheers, 
Bob Shirer

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