Stories We Could Tell: Putting Words To American Popular Music

About David Sanjek

David Sanjek (1952-2011) was Professor of Popular Music and Director of the Music Research Centre at the University of Salford Greater Manchester England. He was considered to be a world expert in this field. Professor Sanjek received his B.A. in English and Philosophy from Connecticut College and his MA and PhD in Literature from Washington University in St Louis. He was an enthusiastic scholar and much-loved teacher who published widely on popular music film media studies copyright law and popular culture. Alongside his father Russell Sanjek David produced the first comprehensive written history of the American music industry American Popular Music and Its Business: The First Four Hundred Years (OUP 1988). Between 1991 and 2007 David was Director of the Archives at Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI). He was also the President Vice-President and Secretary of the U.S. Branch of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music (IASPM). Professor Sanjek also served as an advisor to many organisations including The Library of Congress The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rhythm & Blues Foundation The Blues Foundation The Center for Black Music Research The Experience Music Project Museum The National Endowment for the Humanities and on several committees for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS). Professor Sanjek's legacy continues to inform popular music scholarship. The David Sanjek Memorial Graduate Student Paper Prize is offered annually by IASPM-US. At the time of writing the David Sanjek Archive which consists of many thousands of books journals papers records and assorted audio and visual media artefacts is in preparation at University of Salford. It is hoped that this archive will form a valuable resource for current and future scholars in the fields of popular music film literature and theatre. Dr Benjamin Halligan is the outgoing Director of Postgraduate Research Studies for the College of Arts and Social Sciences University of Salford and incoming Director of the Graduate College University of Wolverhampton (from November 2015). Publications include Michael Reeves (Manchester University Press 2003) and Desires for Reality: Radicalism and Revolution in Western European Film (Berghahn Books 2016). Co-edited collections include Mark E. Smith and The Fall: Art Music and Politics (Ashgate 2010) Reverberations: The Philosophy Aesthetics and Politics of Noise (Continuum 2012) Resonances: Noise and Contemporary Music (Bloomsbury 2013) The Music Documentary: Acid Rock to Electropop (Routledge 2013) and The Arena Concert: Music Media and Mass Entertainment (Bloomsbury Academic 2015). Dr. Mark Duffett is Reader in Media and Cultural Studies at the University of Chester. His research interest is primarily in fandom and the dynamics of popular music audiences. Mark is the author of Understanding Fandom (Bloomsbury 2013) has recently edited two special editions of the journal Popular Music and Society and is currently writing a book on Elvis Presley for Equinox Press. Tom Attah is BMus Popular Music Course Leader at Leeds Arts University UK. His research focusses on the effects of technology on blues music and blues culture. Dr. Attahs teaching and blues advocacy includes workshops seminars lectures and recitals delivered internationally. As a guitarist and singer he performs solo with acoustic duos and as leader of an electric band. His solo acoustic work includes his own original blues compositions and has led to performances at international music festivals. Dr. Attahs writing regularly features in specialist music publications and his original chapters conference papers and book reviews are published in a variety of media.