Apollo Theater Oral History Project - Incite at Columbia University

The Apollo Theater is a pillar of African-American history and a Harlem institution. The oral history project reveals the significance of the theater in the past and looking towards the future.

For the Apollo Theater's 75th anniversary in 2009, the Apollo Theater Foundation approached Columbia Oral History to collect the rich history of the theater.

From 2009 to 2011, researchers at Incite Institute talked to patrons, staff, and performers who have been involved with the Apollo Theater's events and its legacy.

The interviews include conversations with leading figures in the Apollo Theater’s history with music performers, dancers, talent scouts and comedians; as well as former business managers and owners, directors, and staff. The oral history project is available for public viewing at Columbia’s Rare Book and Manuscript Library, which holds a collection of interview transcripts with prominent figures like Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson, and Dionne Warwick.

The Apollo Theater is a pillar of African-American history and a Harlem institution. The oral history project reveals the significance of the theater in the past and looking towards the future.

Explore more below:

• How the Apollo Theater’s Oral History Project Housed at Columbia Brought New Stories from Harlem and Black Music to Light
• Apollo Theater Oral History Project, 2008-2011
• Apollo Video Oral History Project at Wadleigh Secondary School for the Performing and Visual Arts
• Apollo Theater Oral History Project and the Apollo Theater Oral History Project at C.S. 154 by Harlem Apollo Theater (review)