The Gary Johnson Collection spans the years 1940-2003 with the bulk of the materials falling between 1965-1989. The collection consists of concert posters, Herb Cohen's files on the Frank Zappa film 200 Motels; materials related to Zola Taylor, the Beatles, and John Mayall; promotional materials (press releases, advertisements, and merchandising); flyers and handbills; business papers related to Kim Fowley's work as a producer, manager, and songwriter, primarily with the Runaways; and individual items related to the Blues Project, Woody Guthrie, Nirvana, Elvis Presley, the Ramones, Elliot Smith, and Spinal Tap. Through a variety of media, including 8mm film, advertisements, audio recordings, chord charts, clippings, financial and legal documents, flyers, handbills, magazines, manuscripts, photographs, posters, press kits, press releases, sheet music, and teletypes, the collection provides insights into regional (Midwest and Northwest regions) and national talent promotion, venue marketing, the filmmaking process, the arrangement of live musical performances, the commercial viability of disbanded bands, and reports of celebrity deaths by the press.
Biography / Administrative History
Gary Johnson is the co-owner of Rockaway Records in Los Angeles, California. Johnson and his brother, Wayne, have been dealing in rare audio since 1979, and their store has been in its current location in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles since 1992. Rockaway Records specializes in hard-to-find audio and unique rock and roll collectibles.
Accruals
Accruals are generally filed at the end of the collection; materials may be interfiled within an existing series if appropriate.
Notes
Language Note: Collection is primarily in English; materials in Danish, Dutch, French, German, Norwegian, and Swedish are indicated at the file level in Series II.
Processing Information: Processed by James A. Kohler, Project Archivist. Completed October 31, 2011. Revised by Adonees Sarrouh, Volunteer. Completed June 4, 2013. Revised by Jennie Thomas, Head Archivist. Completed May 19, 2016. Revised by Anastasia Karel, Archivist. Completed July 8, 2016. Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory: DACS and local processing manual.
Acquisition Note: The Gary Johnson Collection was received by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum, Inc. through numerous gifts from Johnson between 2001 and 2016.
Citation: [Identification of Item], Gary Johnson Collection, Library and Archives, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
Access
Collection is open for research. Patrons must sign the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights statement on the Researcher Registration form before using this collection. Some of the audiovisual materials in the collection are on defunct media formats and, therefore, are RESTRICTED. Access copies of these materials will have to be created prior to use. Some of the materials in the collection are confidential and are, therefore, RESTRICTED. Access copies of these materials will have to be created prior to use. Consult the Library and Archives staff in advance of your visit to ensure access to these materials is available. One item is CLOSED due to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), and is identified at the item-level.
Use
The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. For more information, please consult the staff of the Library and Archives.
