Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from the Mel Felton and the Southern Colonels Recordings must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Mel Felton and the Southern Colonels Recordings, Ms2016-002, Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Acquisition Information

The Mel Felton and the Southern Colonels Recordings were donated to Special Collections in 2014.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Mel Felton and the Southern Colonels Recordings commenced and was completed in January, 2016.

Historical Note

The origin of the Southern Colonels, a Virginia Tech dance orchestra, can be traced to 1918, when student Dayton Rice Taylor founded the Southern Syncopating Saxophone Six with five other students. After the early departure of one member, the band renamed itself the Virginia Tech Jazz Orchestra and was also known as the College Six. A popular fixture at campus functions, the group renamed itself again in 1922, becoming the Collegians. By 1931, the band had expanded to a nine-piece orchestra and in an attempt to be more distinctive ranamed itself yet again, as The Southern Colonels.

The Southern Colonels disbanded during World War II, but drummer Mel Feldenheimer helped to reassemble the band when he returned to campus in 1944, following his service in World War II. The orchestra quickly regained its popularity, performing at Virginia Tech and other colleges. During 1946 and 1947, the orchestra toured the southern states as Mel Felton and the Southern Colonels, with Feldenheimer as bandleader. The orchestra was featured in a weekly radio broadcast on Charleston, South Carolina's WCSC (now WSPO) while performing on the nearby Isle of Palms.

Scope and Content

This collection contains recordings made by Mel Felton and the Southern Colonels, a Virginia Tech dance orchestra. Included are seven original 1946 acetate recordings of the orchestra performing at the Marine Room on Isle of Palms, South Carolina. Also included is a 2014 compact disc containing digital conversions of the original recordings.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged by format, then by date.

Related Material

Melvin Feldenheimer Collection, Ms2008-083. Finding ai d available online.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Music
• Musical groups
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute (1944-1970)
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1970-)