For every beloved Motown hit of the ’60s, there were literally hundreds of other Detroit records made by dynamic local artists who, for one reason or another, never made it. Now, much of this music is all-but-forgotten outside of a dedicated subculture of collectors and enthusiasts. The mission of the One Record Project is to capture the stories behind the more obscure Detroit music of the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s through oral history interviews with the artists, musicians, and songwriters who created it.

Over the years, I've discovered so many incredible records from this city and so many times I've wanted to know: who is responsible for this music / how did it come to exist / why don't more people know about this material—it should have sold a million copies!

I've had this conversation with other collectors over and over again about different records, but what I'd always daydream about was having this conversation with the artists themselves. So that's what I've finally set out to do.

We currently find ourselves at a crucial moment in history, more than 50 years after some of this remarkable music was made. Its originators are now of advanced age, if they are still with us at all. It is essential that we provide them a platform to tell their stories, to share their unique perspectives, and most importantly, to celebrate their music again with a whole new audience.

Join us as we uncover the untold stories of Detroit music, one record at a time.