Pacific Northwest Historians Guild

Research & writing

conferences

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PNW Historians Guild
PO Box 85457
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Abstract: Rock & Roll Archaeologist: Digging Old Music Artifacts

by Peter C Blecha (Read about this author in the Member directory.)

This presentation is based on anecdotes from the 2005 book of the same title. As Sasquatch Books has said: “Dubbed the ‘Indiana Jones of Rock ‘n’ Roll’ by Seattle’s The Rocket magazine, Peter Blecha’s life reads like a dream come true. From an adolescence spent hoarding 45s, he turned an obsession with music memorabilia into an amazing career, amassing an astonishing collection of rock-and-roll artifacts while hobnobbing with music industry bigwigs and helping to establish a world-famous museum. Here Blecha recounts his favorite adventures in the field, from porch-side interviews with Jimi Hendrix’s father to haggling with Courtney Love for Kurt Cobain mementos to a tense auction battle for Eric Clapton’s “Layla” guitar. The book also relates his involvement with Microsoft mogul Paul Allen’s quest to build a gallery devoted to Jimi Hendrix, which, with Blecha’s help, eventually became Seattle’s renowned Experience Music Project (EMP). Blecha’s story is a unique celebration of fandom taken to obsessive lengths, culminating in a lifetime of incredible experiences — and a basement overflowing with the stuff rock-and-roll dreams are made of.”

See a complete index of abstracts by Guild members and others on the Abstracts page.

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