A Tribute to Alan Jabbour, 1942-2017

A lovely tribute (with more links) to Alan Jabbour, born in Florida, from our colleagues at Florida Folklife Program:

We are saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Alan Jabbour, folklorist, scholar, and founding Director of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

Alan Jabbour was born in #Jacksonville in 1942 to Syrian immigrants. He studied violin at an early age and put himself through college at the University of Miami by playing classical music. As a graduate student at Duke University, he documented traditional musicians. With the Hollow Rock String Band, he played an instrumental role in the 1960s folk music revival by building a repertoire of fiddle tunes based on his fieldwork.

As a leader in the field of folklore, he served as the head of the Archive of American Folk Song, the director of the Folk and Traditional Arts program at the National Endowment for the Arts, and the director of the American Folklife Center from 1976 to 1999. Upon retirement, he continued to conduct fieldwork, write, lecture, consult, and perform.

We are grateful for his contributions to the field of folklore and his support and involvement in the development of the Florida Folklife Program and the Florida Folk Festival. We send our deepest condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and all those touched by his thoughtful scholarship and kind presence.

2011 Suwannee Banjo Camp: http://bit.ly/2jdI3gB

1978 Florida Folk Arts Conference: http://bit.ly/2jTttOv.

2003 Florida Folk Festival: http://bit.ly/2jTvudq.

State Archives of Florida