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Collection Overview
Title: Gregory Heath Papers, 1971-2015
ID: 12/9/135
Primary Creator: Heath, Gregory "Flea" (1947-)
Other Creators: York, Alan R.
Extent: 2.5 cubic feet
Arrangement:
Materials are arranged into three series: 1) Gregory Heath Business Records, 2) Gregory Heath Personal Papers, and 3) Alan York Personal Papers.
Series 1 is arranged in 3 Sub-Series: 1) Client Files, 2) Videos, and 3) Business Contact Information. Sub-series 1 is further arranged into 4 sub-sub-series: 1.1) Subject Files, 1.2) Colors Unlimited Files, 1.3) Celebrations Files, and 1.4) Fundraisers.
Series 2 is arranged in 3 Sub-Series: 1) Personal Memorabilia, 2) Sound Recordings, 3) Posters.
Series 3 is arranged in 2 Sub-Series: 1) Personal Memorabilia and 2) Sound Recordings.
All material follows original order, except where noted at the Series or Sub-Series level.
Date Acquired: 02/28/2014. More info below under Accruals.
Subjects: Blues-rock music, Carbondale, Illinois, Danville, Illinois, Farm Aid, Music - United States, Music business, Olympics, Popular Music--Illinois--Urbana-Champaign, REO Speedwagon, Rock Music
Formats/Genres: Business Records, Papers, Photographs, Posters, Sound Recordings
Languages: English
Scope and Contents of the Materials
Consists of photographs, news clippings, contracts, audio and video recordings, address books, and posters documenting Gregory "Flea" Heath's work as a concert promoter in Carbondale, IL in the 1970s, and as owner of Celebrations, a Central Illinois music booking agency during the 1980s and 1990s. Includes materials related to music ensembles active in central and southern Illinois such as Head East, REO Speedwagon, the Finchley Boys, One-Eyed Jacks, and Pork and the Havana Ducks. Also consists of photographs, news clippings, flyers, and audio recordings documenting Alan York's involvement in the music scene during the same era.
Biographical Note
Gregory "Flea" Heath (1947- ) is a longtime resident of Danville, Illinois and an avid music lover. After attending Woodstock (1969) and the Kickapoo Creek Music Festivals (1968, 1969, and 1970), Heath ventured into the music industry. In 1971 Heath became a concert promoter in Carbondale, IL. He founded Colors Unlimited to promote local musicians in the early 1970s. Through this work he made connections with many Illinois-area rock bands including The Buckinghams, Captain Rat and the Blind Rivets, Coal Kitchen, the New Colony Six, Appaloosa, and the Hard Core Blues Band. He also booked several international touring acts including Ravi Shankar, Chuck Berry, Rufus and Chaka Khan, and Maynard Fergusson. In the 1980s, he founded Celebrations, a music booking agency, in Danville, Illinois. This led to his arranging enterainment for the 1986 Illinois Special Olympics. Celebrations operated until the early 2000s. Between 2014 and 2015, he contributed objects within his collection to the Bob Zimmerman documentary Out of Nowhere, about the Champaign-Urbana rock scene.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Accruals:
Initial gift made by Gregory Heath on February, 28, 2014.
A second gift was made by Gregory Heath on October 13, 2015. This included materials from Alan York, which were integrated into the Gregory Heath Collection as Series 3, the Alan York Papers.
Additional photographs, posters, and news clippings were donated on March 18, 2024.
Acquisition Source:
Gregory Heath
Acquisition Method:
Gift
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Gregory Heath Business Records, 1971-2007],
[Series 2: Gregory Heath Personal Papers, 1971-2006],
[
Series 3: Alan York Papers, 1970-2015],
[
All]
- Series 2: Gregory Heath Personal Papers, 1971-2006
- Sub-Series 1: Personal Memorabilia, 1971-2015
- Box 1
- Folder 94: Peppermint Rainbow Band Photo, ca. 1960s
- Folder 95: Articles By or About Greg Heath, ca. 2007
- Folder 96: Buddy Guy Blues Photo, 1998
- Folder 97: Press Clippings - Danville Music Scene, ca. 1960-2000
- Folder 98: Alexander Wayne Jenkins Obituary, 2020
- Folder 99: Chief Illiniwek vol. 1, iss. 1, Fall 1998
- Box 2
- Folder 4: Press Clippings - Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows, 1970s-2000s
- Folder 5: Press Clippings - Daily Egyptian (SIU Carbondale newspaper), 1971-73
- Folder 6: Press Clippings - Celebrations Agency, 1980s-90s
- Includes photos and personal notes.
- Folder 7: Press Clippings - REO Speedwagon, 1972-73
- Folder 8: Press Clippings - Tons 'O' Fun Band, 2006
- Folder 9: Stage Crew Specifications, 1988
- Charlie Daniels Band, Danville Civic Center, Special Olympics Benefit
- Folder 16: Concert and Festival Flyers, 2003-2015
- Flyers from 2003 Sweetcorn Festival; 2014 Gifford Tornado Relief Concert; 2014 Champaign County Fair; 33rd Annual Vietnam and All Veterans Reunion, Kokomo, Indiana; K Rockfest (undated).
- Folder 17: Photographs of Bands, 1970s-1980
- Photographs of "1959" The Old Time Rock n Roll Band; The Varieteers; The Stone Country Band; Dynaflo, and Another Lick.
- Folder 18: Photographs and Notes, 1971-2013
- Including copy of Greg Heath email (2005); List of Greg "Flea" Heaths Bands (some) Colors unlimited, Carbondale, IL (1971); Photograph of Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows (1970s); and miscellaneous personal photographs and copies of photographs, with notes (1971-2013).
- Folder 19: Luchenbach, Texas - photographs and information, 2015
- Folder 20: Willie Nelson photograph and flyer, 1989
- From Sept. 1, 1989 Willie Nelson and Family show at Danville Civic Center.
- Box 3
- Folder 4: Press Clippings, 1984-2014
- Copies of miscellaneous press clippings regarding Greg Heath, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Mike Massa, Concert in the ParkING Lot, Music at the Landing, Blues at the Crossroads, and Phases of the Moon Music and Arts Festival.
- Folder 5: Photographs (copies), 1949-2014
- Copies of photographs and notes regarding musicians, bands, and concerts, including Ruby Jones, "Ruckus" Band (1979-1983), Griz Fest 2014, Special Olympics Concert, and Willy Nelson Concert (1989).
- Folder 7: Concert Posters and Photographs, ca. 2013-2015
- Sub-Series 2: Sound Recordings, 1957-1980s
- Box 2
- Folder 10: The Buckinghams - Kind of a Drag/You Make Me Feel So Good, 1966
- Folder 11: The Cobras - Try/Goodbye, 1966
- Folder 12: Jim Foley - My Isle of Golden Dreams/He'll Only Hurt You, undated
- Folder 13: One-Eyed Jacks - Sun So High/Love, 1970
- Folder 14: The Shades of Blue - Not the Way Love Should Be/You Must Believe Me, 1967
- Folder 15: Larry Williams - You Bug Me, Baby/Bony Moronie, 1957
- Reel 1: Scott Davis, Undated
- Acetate Tape Reel; R D Studio, Champaign IL
- Reel 2: Keith Harden - Latin Satin, Stand Up (Unedited), Undated
- Acetate Tape Reel; Kieth Harden - Lead and background vocals, all guitars; Rick Cummings - Drums and humor; Bobby Durham - Bass; Rob Berry - Clarinet, Fender Rhodes, Marimba, Conga; John Van Halla -Trombone; Frank Slavato - Trumpet; Mike Sutherland - Sax; Horns arranged by Rob Berry.
- Box 4
- Item 1: 1959 (The Old Time Rock N Roll Band) - Vol. 1, ca. 1985
- 12 inch LP
- Item 2: Dan Fogelberg - Souvenirs, 1974
- 12 inch LP
- Item 3: Finchley Boys - Everlasting Tributes, 1972
- 12 inch LP
- Item 4: Head East - A Different Kind of Crazy, 1979
- 12 inch LP
- Item 5: Pork Live!, 1980s
- 12 inch LP
- Item 6: REO Speedwagon - Hi Infidelity, 1980
- 12 inch LP
- Item 7: REO Speedwagon - You Can Tune a Piano But You Can't Tuna Fish, 1978
- 12 inch LP
- Item 8: Starcastle, 1976
- 12 inch LP
- Item 11: John Philip Sousa Marches in Dixieland Style by Bob Crosby, 1950
- 33 1/3 RPM 10 inch Disc
- Item 12: Flathead 6 - Bad Spell, 2006
- Compact disc.
- Item 13: Punky Ice - Ice on the Keys, undated
- Compact disc.
- Sub-Series 3: Posters, 1972-2006
- Box 3
- Folder 1: Posters and Flyers, 1972-2006
- Posters, flyers and photos relating to Vermilion County Handicapped Association, Red Lion Inn Reunion, Special Olympics Concert at the David S. Palmer Civic Center, Iliana Bluegrass Association, 12th Annual Skin & Scoot and Hot Rods, Balloon Classic Illinois (June 9-11, 1989), Septemberfest 1991, Finchley Boys - Everlasting Tributes, REO Speedwagon & Mark Almond concert (Apr. 22, 1972), Down Home, and Willard Cratchlow Band with handwritten note by Gregory Heath.
- Folder 2: Red Lion Reunion Memorabilia, 2006
- Includes Red Lion 40th Anniversary matchbook and coaster.
- Folder 3: Concert posters and photographs, ca. 2010-2015
- Posters and flyers related to Taste of Danville (2012); WOP Heart for Life Memorial Ride (2010-2012); Blues at the Crossroads (2014); Champaign County Fair (2014); Thunder Ride; and Hambone and the Rhythm Monsters.
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Gregory Heath Business Records, 1971-2007],
[Series 2: Gregory Heath Personal Papers, 1971-2006],
[
Series 3: Alan York Papers, 1970-2015],
[
All]
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