Rob Willis
Robert Willis (1944- ) grew up in Forbes, New South Wales, where he has lived most of his life. He has worked in the sales and electronics trade and for many years owned and managed an electrical appliances business. He became interested in folk music in 1975 when he was involved in a production of the musical Reedy River. He formed a band called Blackridge (the original name of Forbes) to perform Australian folk songs. A self-taught musician, Willis played the button accordion, guitar, mouth organ, tin whistle, banjo, concertina and also sang. Rob Willis collected and provided details of many of the Australian tunes in this archive.
Rob Willis has made a significant contribution to documenting Australia’s folk heritage through extensive field recording and folklore collection over several decades. In the late 1970s, Willis identified the presence of numerous traditional performers in the Forbes area and recognised the continued transmission of local traditions. Consequently, he embarked on a mission to document and record their music and narratives. In 1983, Willis began a collaboration with folklorist John Meredith, accompanying him on several field expeditions. Upon Meredith's retirement in 1994, Willis continued the work independently, frequently delegating day-to-day business responsibilities to a manager. Over time, he gradually distanced himself from routine business operations and fully committed himself to recording and interviewing traditional artists in regional towns and cities throughout Australia. The Rob Willis Collection housed at the National Library of Australia stands as one of the most extensive oral history collections in Australia.
For more information on Willis's oral history contemporaries refer to the John Meredith Collection, Peter Ellis Collection and Woodland Collection in the National Library of Australia in Canberra.
See also:
- Rob and Olya Willis demonstrate dance steps. [1]
- Keith McKenry in November 2004, [2], Rob Willis, folklorist & musician talks about his memories of John Meredith. Rob Willis gives some background information on himself; he speaks about performing in Reedy River at Forbes, N.S.W.; discovering bush music; the Black Ridge Bush Band; his meeting with John Meredith; the first visit from Meredith; field trips with Meredith; the discussions on the road; camping out; organizing trips and recording techniques; John Meredith's personality and personal relationships; his sense of focus; Meredith's ethical standards and friendships; his relations with siblings and parents; Rose Cottage; the break-up of the Bushwhackers; Meredith's likes and dislikes and opinion of country music; John Meredith and the National Library; Meredith's return to Holbrook; the Euthanasia Society; his health and final months with Leukaemia.
Rob Willis recorded some of his observations and experiences in "Verandah Music, Roots of Australian Tradition", ed. Graham Seal and Rob Willis, Curtin University Books, 2003, ISBN 1920731970.
