Author, musician and broadcaster of ‘Sounds of the South’ on Dunoon Community Radio, Dr-Phil receives a major award for his biography of blues man Mississippi John Hurt
The Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC), based in Kansas City, Missouri has recently announced the winners of the 2012 ARSC Awards for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research. Begun in 1991, the awards are presented to authors and publishers of books, articles, liner notes, and monographs, to recognize outstanding published research in the field of recorded sound. In giving these awards, ARSC recognizes outstanding contributions, encourages high standards, and promotes awareness of superior works. Two awards may be presented annually in each category—one for best history and one for best discography. Certificates of Merit are presented to runners-up of exceptionally high quality. The 2012 Awards for Excellence honor works published in 2011.
Dr-Phil (Philip R. Ratcliffe) received the top award for BEST RESEARCH in RECORDED BLUES, RHYTHM & BLUES, or SOUL MUSIC for his book, Mississippi John Hurt: His Life, His Times, His Blues, published last year by the University Press of Mississippi.
Dr-Phil will receive his award at the awards banquet to be held in Kansas City, Missouri on Saturday May 19, 2013, andwill also make a presentation of his research during ARSC’s annual conference, a forum for the exchange of ideas on the cultural and historical importance of our recorded sound legacy.
All authors receiving an Award for Excellence receive a one year honorary membership in ARSC, providing access to the ARSC newsletters and the ARSC Journal, the only peer reviewed publication of its kind, with articles on all aspects of the history of recorded sound. He will receive a copy of the ARSC Directory, providing access to a unique, international network of sound archivists and librarians, researchers and discographers, sound engineers, and private collectors active or with a special interest in the study, documentation and preservation of sound recordings.
Dr-Phil is currently working on two new books on the music of the Deep South, one based on his popular Dunoon Community Radio programme, Sounds of the South.