Our Latest Interview....

Feb 3^rd, 1959 “The day the music died”

Tommy Allsup tells the story http://www.voicesofoklahoma.com/tommy_allsup.html

Share with a friend.

John Erling

About Voices of Oklahoma...

PRESERVING OKLAHOMA'S HERITAGE ONE VOICE AT A TIME
Voices of Oklahoma.com is dedicated to the preservation of the oral history of Oklahoma. Voices and stories of famous Oklahomans and ordinary citizens are captured forever in their own words. Oil and gas, ranching, politics, education and more are all visited in these far-ranging interviews. Students researching any of these areas can listen to first-person accounts of the way life was and draw from knowledge that may guide and shape their future. In addition to students, any visitor will feel close to history as they listen to these personal reflections. As many of these people listened to the radio years ago, we invite yout to sit back in your chair and listen to stories that will be preserved beyond our lifetime thanks to today’s technology.

About our host John Erling...

OUR HOST
 For 30 years John Erling entertained Tulsans as the stimulating host of Erling in the Morning on KRMG radio. Known for his interviews with people of all walks of life—from politicians to celebrities to everyday people—John’s talk show provided the perfect forum to deliberate the hottest local and national topics.

As a well-respected community leader and member of the Oklahoma Broadcasters Hall of Fame, Erling is now devoting his energy and enthusiasm to Voices of Oklahoma. He deeply believes that preserving the stories of Oklahomans will reveal the depth of emotion and pride that built our great state. By introducing inspirational stories in an accessible, lively format he hopes to educate and motivate future generations. To share the experience of real, heartfelt conversations with many of Oklahoma’s greatest assets, join John as he spotlights the most original, fascinating voices of our time.

Our Emphasis on Education

Every aspect of VoicesofOklahoma.com is designed with students in mind. It is history told by those who lived it—in their own words, without prejudice. Thanks to the Internet, learning has grown far beyond the books in libraries and classrooms. Since determining truth from fiction on websites becomes more difficult each day, the availability of accessing accurate historical references that feature primary source documents, recordings and images is increasingly important.

Before time silences any more of Oklahoma’s greatest voices, we hope to preserve them for the future. As any historian will attest, primary source materials are by far the most accurate and dependable resources for scholars. Our hope is that students will find inspiration as they listen to each person reveal the moments that captured a generation’s interest. While written words accurately relate facts, only a voice can add the intonation, depth, soul and heart that reveal the underlying emotional toll or jubilation of the experience.

We offer insights and anecdotes that aren’t found in textbooks and formal interviews. These are living words. These words bring history to life now and for future generations. Our website makes it easy to step back in time, listen and learn. Please help us preserve Oklahoma’s voices before it is too late.

Founding Sponsors

We express our very special gratitude to the following sponsors whose generosity helped Voices of Oklahoma become a reality.

• Helmerich Foundation
• The George Kaiser Family Foundation
• The Mary K. Chapman Foundations
• The Williams Companies Foundation
• The William K. Warren Foundation
• NewCity Foundation
• Grace and Franklin Bernsen Foundation

THANK YOU!

Voices of Oklahoma could not exist without continued support from the community. We would like to take this opportunity to gratefully acknowledge and thank our sponsors for their philanthropy and trust. Without the ongoing encouragement and philanthropy of our sponsors, interviewees and volunteers who have contributed their time and talents, our dream of preserving Oklahoma's finest voices would not be possible.