International Battle of the Bands Records
name: label: Creator
content: Free, Jerry D.
label: Creator
content: International Battle of the Bands, Inc.
place: label: Place
content: Nashville (Tenn.) -- Music -- 20th century
topic: label: Topic
content: Music-halls -- 1980-2000
label: Topic
content: Music -- 20th century -- United States
label: Topic
content: Music -- Performance
label: Topic
content: Music -- Publishing
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Collection donated by Jerry D. Free, December 16, 1998.
creator: label: Creator
content: Free, Jerry D.
label: Creator
content: International Battle of the Bands, Inc.
setName: label: See more items in
content: International Battle of the Bands Records
abstract: label: Summary
content: Business records, scrapbooks, audio disks, videotape, audio tape, and photographs documenting the business and entertainment activities at the International Battle of the Bands.
bioghist: label: Biographical/Historical note
content: The International Battle of the Bands Corporation (IBB) was a Nashville-based promotion founded in 1975 by Mr. Jerry Free.  Free, an Ohio native born in 1939, is currently Vice President and General manager of United Gunite Construction, where he began working in 1972.  Before he founded the International Battle of the Bands, Free began his professional career as a door-to-door salesman for Look magazine.  He remained at Look for 13 years, working his way up to a position on the board of directors in 1968.

Free's battle of the bands concept was not a new idea.  Staged competitions between bands had been part of American popular music for most of the 20th century.  The purpose of these competitions was to draw audiences to the theaters and music halls where bands would perform during the late afternoons and evenings.  These events were a common occurrence in the swing era of the 1930s, as well as in Rhythm and Blues and Jazz in the 1940s and 50s.  In the early days of Rock & Roll, fledgling music groups often achieved recognition by winning these types of contests.  This local exposure sometimes led to regional and even national recognition.  The idea of bringing attention to local artists served as the basis for the International Battle of the Bands.  It was referred to by Free as the Agreatest search for new talent. Introducing the band competition into the age of televised coverage and corporate sponsorship enabled Free to take an old idea and transform it into a national enterprise.   

With the backing of Seagram=s Seven the International Battle of the Bands Contest got its formal start in 1981.  In association with the publishing and recording division of the IBB corporation, the International Battle of the Bands contest was developed with the purpose of discovering and promoting new country music talent.  The contest was structured with a series of local and regional competitions, leading up to the Grand Finals held each year, with the exception of 1988, in Nashville, Tennessee.  The 1988 finals that were held in Panama City Beach, Florida.  

Local auditions were held in IBB affiliated clubs in 50 select cities throughout the United States.  Winners of local contests moved on to regional competitions with hopes of reaching the Grand Finals and a chance of a recording contract with IBB records and a one year booking contract with Buddy Lee attractions.  While remaining relatively low key in its early years, the IBB Grand Finals were broadcast to a national television audience in a 90 minute program hosted by Sammy Davis, Jr. and Louise Mandrell in 1986.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 32 Cubic feet (88 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1981-1998.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0677
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Audiotapes
label: Type
content: Audiovisual materials
label: Type
content: Business records
label: Type
content: Certificates
label: Type
content: Music videos
label: Type
content: Scrapbooks
label: Type
content: Black-and-white photographic prints
label: Type
content: Videotapes
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is divided into seven series. 

Series 1.1: International Battle of the Bands, 1981

Series 1.2: International Battle of the Bands, 1982

Series 1.3: International Battle of the Bands, 1983

Series 1.4: International Battle of the Bands, 1984

Series 1.5: International Battle of the Bands, 1985

Series 1.6: International Battle of the Bands, 1986

Series 1.7: International Battle of the Bands, 1987-1988

Series 1.8: International Battle of the Bands, 1989 

Series 2.1: International Battle of the Bands Publishing, 1981

Series 2.2: International Battle of the Bands Publishing, 1982

Series 2.3: International Battle of the Bands Publishing, 1983

Series 2.4: International Battle of the Bands Publishing, 1984

Series 2.1: International Battle of the Bands Publishing, 1985

Series 3.1: International Battle of the Bands Recording, 1981-1986

Series 3.2: International Battle of the Bands Recording, 45s, 

Series 3.3: International Battle of the Bands Recording, LPs, 1982-1986	

Series 3.4: International Battle of the Bands Recording, Reel to Reel, 1981-1986 	

Series 3.5: International Battle of the Bands Recording, Cassettes, 1981-1986
 
Series 4: Photographs and Negatives, 1981-1986

Series 5: Videos, 1981-1993

Series 6: Card Files, 1981-1987

Series 7:  Awards and Certificates, 1982-1990
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Midori Okazzaki, Betsy Haws, Jose Delannoy, Laura Scheu, Kate Reilly, Beth Milani, interns, 
2000.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Audiotapes -- 1980-1990
label: Genre/Form
content: Audiovisual materials
label: Genre/Form
content: Business records -- 1950-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Certificates
label: Genre/Form
content: Music videos
label: Genre/Form
content: Scrapbooks -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Black-and-white photographic prints -- Silver gelatin -- 1950-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Videotapes
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents note
content: The International Battle of the Bands Records, 1981 - 1998, consists of a varied compilation of business records, advertising materials, scrapbooks, photographs, original video footage, and audio recordings.  The Battle of the Bands Records document all aspects related to the production, advertising, and promotion of the regional, final, and future competitions