Learn how John and Alan Lomax preserved America’s musical history and folklore when Brett Voss and William Godby share their story at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 7, at the Allen Public Library. This live free event which will also be offered virtually at allentx.swagit.com 

Brett and Will will discuss the often-overlooked legacy of John A. Lomax, Sr. along with his son Alan Lomax for collecting and recording American folk music. In 1933, The Ballad Hunters covered 16,000 miles collecting songs integral to the lives of Americans, both black and white. In addition to collecting cowboy songs from the cattle trails in the 1910 book, "Cowboy Songs and Frontier Ballads," the Lomaxes preserved slave songs and prison work songs, "adding the voice of the common man to the written history of America."

With a 38-year career in communications including multi-media publications, productions and marketing, Brett has worked as an educator, publisher and producer. He started as a sportswriter for the Dallas Morning News in 1983 and retired in 2018 as publisher of two weekly newspapers. He and his wife Simone now own and operate Southern Cross Creative, the home of two websites, Chisholm Country magazine and Brett Voss' The Sports Buzz.

As a music and film professional, Will Godby promotes entertainment in Bosque County through his involvement in the Bosque Museum as well as being a founding board member and "resident filmmaker" for the Bosque Film Society.  Raised in Clifton, The Cliftex Theatre, or “the picture show” as it was called in his youth, afforded young Will the opportunity to experience a larger world. This awareness inspired him to attend film school at The University of Texas at Austin. After graduation, Will journeyed to Los Angeles and ultimately became a film and television editor.

The library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr. Call 214-509-4911 for additional information.