Seeking the Ancestors of Elvis: Scholar Ties Rock ’n’ Roll to History of the South in Upcoming UA Lecture

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Rock ’n’ roll has deep roots in the American South, from Elvis Presley to Jerry Lee Lewis and beyond. Now Dr. Jim Cobb, the Spaulding Professor of History at The University of Georgia, will explore the Dixie origins of rock in “Southern History and the Roots of Rock and Roll,” the upcoming Friends of History lecture at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, at Room 205 in Gorgas Library.

The lecture is free and open to the public. A reception and signing will follow the reading.

Cobb teaches courses in southern history and culture. A former president of the Southern Historical Association, Cobb has written widely on the interaction between economy, society and culture in the American South.

His books include “The Selling of The South: The Southern Crusade for Industrial Development, 1936-1990” and “The Most Southern Place on Earth: The Mississippi Delta and the Roots of Regional Identity.” His most recent book, “Away Down South: A History of Southern Identity,” was published by Oxford University Press in 2005. To read some of his work, visit http://cobbloviate.com

The lecture is presented by UA’s history department and the Friends of History in conjunction with University Libraries. For details, go to www.lib.ua.edu/events or contact Jessica Lacher-Feldman at jlfeldma@ua.edu or 205/348-0500.

The history department is part of UA’s College of Arts and Sciences, the University’s largest division and the largest liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships and memberships on the USA Today All- USA College Academic Team.