Conditions Governing Access
Conditions Governing Use
Preferred Citation
Scope and Contents
Biographical / Historical
Arrangement
Processing Information
Contributing Institution:
California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections
Title: Ed Pearl, Ash Grove Collection
Creator:
Pearl, Ed
Identifier/Call Number: SPC.2021.022
Physical Description:
15 boxes
Physical Description:
12.5 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): 1947, 1952-2021; undated
Date (bulk): 1980-1999
Abstract: This collection contains material belonging to Ed Pearl, founder of the Ash Grove venue. The majority of material related
to the Ash Grove includes documents regarding efforts to create a new Ash Grove in the 1980s, as well as in the 1990s on the
Santa Monica Pier; and material related to Ash Grove produced events, the Ash Grove Foundation, and Ash Grove music archives
project. Also included are documents regarding Pearl's career as a producer for San Francisco Mime Troupe, KPFK-FM radio station,
and for a few benefit shows and events; and clippings related to Pearl's interest in folk music, and politics- particuarly
during the Gulf War.
Language of Material:
English
.
Conditions Governing Access
There are no access restrictions on this collection except where noted at file-level.
Conditions Governing Use
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives
and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical
materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Preferred Citation
Scope and Contents
The Ed Pearl/Ash Grove Collection (1947, 1952-2021; undated bulk 1980-1999) contains 15 boxes and 12.5 linear feet of memorandums;
flyers; clippings; publicity material regarding musicians and bands; correspondence; and other material belonging to Ed Pearl,
founder of the Ash Grove venue that was located in various parts of Los Angeles County from the late 1950s-1990s. The majority
of the material relates to efforts to create a new Ash Grove in the 1980s; and the establishment, operations, and musical
acts of the Ash Grove at the Santa Monica Pier from 1996-1997; as well as material regarding Pearl's career as a producer
for San Francisco Mime Troupe, benefit shows and events such as "Art Against Apartheid", a "save Sunset Hall" show featuring
Pete Seeger, and a Paul Robeson centennial celebration; and radio producer for a KPFK-FM show entitled "Up from the Ash Grove".
Also included are documents related to Pearl's interests in folk music such as sheet music, clippings, and ephemera from events
and concerts; politics including many clippings regarding the Gulf War, the military, and the Middle East; and sound and video
recordings from Ash Grove performances and other music collected by Ed Pearl. This collection is arranged into three series.
Series I: Ash Grove contains memorandums, clippings, correspondence, flyers, press releases, promotional material and other
documents related mostly to the efforts to create a new Ash Grove in the 1980s and the operations of the relocated Ash Grove
at the Santa Monica Pier in the 1990s. Series II: Ed Pearl Papers contains clippings; press releases; invoices; flyers; newsletters;
sheet music; event programs; periodicals; photographs; and other material belonging to Ed Pearl. A majority of the material
in this series relates to various shows, events, and entertainers that Pearl produced, as well as his involvement with KPFK-FM
radio and their free speech efforts; and Pearl's interests in the Gulf War, and folk music. Series III: Audio Visual Materials
contains audiocassettes, miniDVs, U-Matics, VHS, and reel-to-reel tapes featuring performances from Ash Grove, KPFK-FM events
and radio shows; as well as music collected by Ed Pearl from artists such as Woody Guthrie, Ross Altman, and various bluegrass
groups.
Biographical / Historical
Edwin Morton Pearl (1932-2021) grew up in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles, the middle of five children. He began attending
UCLA circa 1954, where his love for folk music began in part due to his guitar teacher, Bess Lomax Hawes. Pearl also became
involved in an effort to bring Pete Seeger to campus, but ultimately UCLA made the decision that Seeger could not play. Pearl
then became the spokesperson for the group, and was able to get the event moved to a nearby church. From those two experiences,
Pearl started forming the idea to start the Ash Grove. Eventually, Pearl would drop out of UCLA to start the Ash Grove at
the age of 22 in 1958, despite his lack of knowledge of the music industry. With an initial investment of $10,000 raised by
friends and family, he opened the Ash Grove in a converted furniture factory. The first concert featured Pearl's flamenco
teacher, folk singer Guy Carawan, and blues performer Brownie McGhee. Although Ash Grove began as a coffeehouse, it differed
because it had a 250 seat auditorium that was primarily a concert hall, and also contained a record store, and school of traditional
folk music that taught banjo, guitar, and other courses.
In the years that Ash Grove was in operation, many jazz, blues, and folk musicians such as Doc Watson, the Byrds, Taj Mahal,
Johnny Cash, Pete Seeger, Clifton Chenier, and Linda Ronstadt performed. Ash Grove also played host to many forums, meetings,
art shows, film screenings, and political discussions. Unfortunately in 1973, a fire- the third in a string of suspected arsons
in a 4 year span- would cause damage too costly to fix and the Ash Grove permanently closed. After the Ash Grove closed, Pearl
became a producer for the theater group San Francisco Mime Troupe, as well as a radio producer for KFKP-FM where he had a
show entitled "Up from the Ash Grove" from 1978-1984. Although there was interest in opening a new Ash Grove in the late 1980s,
real efforts to open a new Ash Grove at the Santa Monica Pier began in 1991. After years of delay, the Ash Grove at the Santa
Monica Pier opened in 1996, but shuttered its doors after being evicted in 1997. In the years following the closure of Ash
Grove at the Santa Monica Pier, Pearl started Ash Grove Music which featured monthly concert dance series from 1998-2000 in
San Pedro, CA., as well as the Ash Grove Foundation which organized stage concerts, lectures, and community performances.
In 2015, Pearl produced "Ash Grove at the Improv" which took place at the Improv- the same location as the original Ash Grove
club on Melrose Ave in West Hollywood. Along with Pearl's ventures as part of Ash Grove, he was very involved in political
activism and organized rallies regarding Nicaraguan and other Latin American liberation struggles; founded the Peace and Freedom
Party in 1967; and also participated in anti-Vietnam, anti-nuclear, and South African anti-apartheid events. Pearl passed
away in 2021, and is survived by his daughter Jolie Pearl, and granddaughter.
Sources:
Hilburn, Robert. "Sand Runs Out on the Ash Grove." Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 1973. Box 3, Folder 4
Hochman, Steve. "Major Music Figures Gear Up to Resurrect Ash Grove." Los Angeles Times, 17 June 1988. Box 3, Folder 4
Biederman, Patricia Ward. "Calling for an Encore, Man Behind the Ash Grove Awaits the Rebirth of Legendary Club." Los Angeles
Times, 7 November 1993. Box 3, Folder 4
Gyulai, Monica. "Ash Grove Rises Again- for Real This Time.", 3 December 1993. Los Angeles Reader. Box 3, Folder 4
Saad, Nardine. "Ed Pearl 88, Los Angeles (obituary)." 8 March 2021. Los Angeles Times. Box 8, Folder 19.
Kuzins, Rebecca. "The Last Coffeehouse." February 1985. Los Angeles Magazine. Box 8, Folder 19.
"Ed Pearl Resume", Box 8, Folder 19.
[transcript of an Ed Pearl interview], 25, June 1990. Box 8, Folder 19
Davis, Mike, and Jon Wiener. Set the Night on Fire : L.A. in the Sixties. Verso, 2020. Call Number: SpCol F869.L857 D385 2020
"Ed Pearl." Activist Video Archive, Activist Video Archive, 4 July 2018, https://activistvideoarchive.org/archive-library-1/2018/6/9/ed-pearl.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged into three series
- Series I: Ash Grove, 1966, 1972-2016; circa 1960s; undated
- sub-series a: Organizational Records, 1977-2016
- sub-series b: marketing and promotional material, 1966-2018; circa 1960s; undated
- sub-series c: Artist PR, 1972-1999; circa 1990s
- Series II: Ed Pearl Papers, 1952, 1957, 1972-2021; undated
- sub-series a: Show and Radio Productions, 1972-2014; undated
- sub-series b: Personal Papers, 1952-2021; undated
- sub-series c: Subject Files, 1952-2017; undated
- Series III: Audio Visual Material, 1947, circa 1960s-2004; undated
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Karen Clemons and Priscilla Avitia; 2022.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Los Angeles (Calif.)
Folk music
Blues (music)
Musicians
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Theater
Politics
Persian Gulf War, 1991
Ash Grove
San Francisco Mime Troupe
KPFK (Radio station : Los Angeles, Calif.)