Tony Alderman Country Music Collection
name: label: Creator
content: Alderman, Alonzo (Tony) Elvis, 1900-1983 (musician)
label: Names
content: Hill Billies (Musical group)
label: Former owner
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Community Life
label: Former owner
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Musical Instruments
label: Names
content: Old Fiddlers' Convention
label: Names
content: Stoneman, Ernest V.
topic: label: Topic
content: Country music
label: Topic
content: Music -- Performance
label: Topic
content: Musical saw music
label: Topic
content: Musicians
creator: label: Creator
content: Alderman, Alonzo (Tony) Elvis, 1900-1983 (musician)
setName: label: See more items in
content: Tony Alderman Country Music Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: Alonzo Elvis "Tony" Alderman played country music with the Galax Dixie Concert Band and The Hill Billies. During the 1950s through 1970s he recorded old-time and early country music, primarily at festivals and conventions. Alderman recorded many of the open-reel audiotapes in the collection at the Old Time Fiddlers Convention in Galax, Virginia.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Alonzo Elvis "Tony" Alderman, (1900-1983) was introduced to old-time music at an early age by his relatives in Galax, Virginia.  Alderman learned to play trumpet, French horn, and, inspired by Earnest "Pop" Stoneman, the country fiddle.  He first performed publicly with the Galax Dixie Concert (brass) Band. 

In the late spring of 1924, he formed a group with John Rector, Al Hopkins, and Joe Hopkins. Rector convinced the band to record a record. Unfortunately, due to technical problems the recording session was unsuccessful.

Undaunted, the quartet travelled to OKeh Studios in January of 1925 where they recorded six songs under the supervision of Ralph Peer. When Peer asked the band's name Al Hopkins replied, "We're nothing but a bunch of hill billies from North Carolina and Virginia.  Call us anything."  Reportedly inspired by his reply, Peer named the group "The Hill Billies." 

"The Hill Billies" released their first record in February 1925. In May of that year while performing at a fiddler's convention sponsored by the Ku Klux Klan in Montana, Tennesee, they recruited Charlie Bowman from Gray Station, Tennessee to join them.  Later that year 'The Hill Billies' left OKeh and joined the Combined Vocalion Brunswick Company to work with artist and repertoire man Jim O'Keefe.  On the Vocalion label the band's name remained the same, but on the Brunswick label it changed to "Al Hopkins and His Buckle Busters."

For the next several years, the "Pine Hill Billies" performed across the country,  made several more records, and broadcast on WRC radio in Washington, DC.  After the group disbanded in 1932, Tony Alderman moved to Washington, DC to work as an x-ray technician, as well as an investor, and he experimented with aerial photography.  

In 1970, Alderman retired to Golden Beach in St. Mary's County, Maryland.  He joined the "Over the Hill Gang" and played at local celebrations, including solos for the National Council for Traditional Arts festivals, the Smithsonian Institution's Festival of American Folklife, and various holiday celebrations held by the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 4 Cubic feet (5 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1927-1976, undated
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: This collection was originally acquired by the Division of Performing Arts and was transferred to the Archives Center in 1986.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0211
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Correspondence
label: Type
content: Audiotapes
label: Type
content: Clippings
label: Type
content: Papers
label: Type
content: Sheet music
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is organized into two series.

Series 1, Audiovisual, 1950-circa 1970

Series 2, Manuscript Materials, 1927-1976
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by NMAH Staff, 2003 and Wendy Shay, audiovisual archivist, 2016.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence -- 1930-1950
label: Genre/Form
content: Audiotapes
label: Genre/Form
content: Clippings
label: Genre/Form
content: Papers
label: Genre/Form
content: Sheet music
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The collection is divided into two series. Series one contains 98 1/4" open reel audiotapes primarily of the Galax Fiddler's Convention (1959-1963) made by Tony Alderman and three audio disc recordings. Series two contains manuscript materials including bills and receipts, correspondence, sheet music, newspaper clippings, performance announcements, and publications.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: University of North Carolina. Southern Folklife Collection

Letter. Tony Alderman to Archie Green, 1961. Archie Green Collection (#20002).