International Bluegrass Music Museum Receives large Donation from the Estate of H. Conway Gandy!

The International Bluegrass Music Museum (IBMM) is honored to accept an incredible archival donation from the estate of the late H. Conway Gandy, which includes his rare and extensive collection of bluegrass LPs, CDs, cassette tapes, books, and recorded radio shows.

Gandy was a lifetime member of IBMM and a founding member of the Colorado Bluegrass Society.

A long-time bluegrass connoisseur with a passion for educating audiences on the history of the music, Gandy’s wish was for his collection to be archived at the Museum for historical preservation and education.

"It is immensely rewarding to provide a home for the extensive collection of Conway Gandy,” said Savannah Hall, IBMM archivist, “He was a dedicated bluegrass advocate, and we will provide that collection with the same dedication in its preservation with museum-quality humidity and temperature control, handling, and maintenance. It is my hope that we can provide this service to the beloved artifacts of the bluegrass community in the years to come. We have been, and always will be, a devoted home for bluegrassers and their objects alike."

The collection includes over 2200 CD’s, hundreds of LPs, recorded shows and Studio EPs, cassette tapes, books, and printed materials ranging from 1957 to the present.

Gandy was a banjo player and bluegrass aficionado. He wrote and edited many articles about bluegrass musicians, and acquired an incredible library of bluegrass and folk music, which he meticulously cataloged.

As one of the founding members of the Colorado Bluegrass Music Society, Gandy brought big names in bluegrass to the Rocky Mountain Bluegrass Festival. It wasn’t until his retirement that he pursued his longtime dream of becoming a disc jockey; incorporating his love of history with his passion for old time country and bluegrass music. His shows focused on the roots of bluegrass music and its origins in other genres, including jazz and early country. Many of Gandy’s recorded radio programs from his show, “Where It All Began,” are featured in the collection.

“The Bluegrass Museum is pleased to have Conway Gandy’s collection, and to honor him in the process,” said Chris Joslin, IBMM Director, “the fact that this collection also includes an archive of his many radio shows is priceless.”