Finding Aid for Gregory Heath Papers, 1971-2015 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

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

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.

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.

Blues-rock music
Carbondale, Illinois
Danville, Illinois
Farm Aid
Music - United States
Music business
Olympics
Popular Music--Illinois--Urbana-Champaign
REO Speedwagon
Rock Music

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