Sahar and Victoria Muradi collection of R.E.M. memorabilia
R. E. M. was a popular rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and drummer Bill Berry. In 1981 the group received airplay on college radio with their single "Radio Free Europe," released on Hib-Tone records. The group would release several albums throughout the 1980s on I. R. S. Records, including their critically acclaimed full-length debut Murmur. They first achieved mainstream success with their 1987 single "The One I Love," and in 1988 they signed with Warner Brothers Records. The band maintained a spotlight throughout the 1990s with albums like Out of Time, Automatic for the People, and Monster. In 2007 the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2011, after releasing fifteen studio albums and selling more than 85 million records worldwide, the group disbanded.
Scope and Content
The collection consists of memorabilia collected by R. E. M. fans Sahar and Victoria Muradi. Printed materials include fan club newsletters, fanzines, articles from national publications, correspondence, posters, and comics. The audiovisual portion of the collection consists primarily of audiocassettes of live performances, rarities, and outakes from 1980-1996. Also included are three videocassettes of documentaries and live performances.