Rock and Roll in Florida
This guide from the State Library of Florida explores Florida’s rock music scene. It is part of Florida Music Tours, a project by the Florida Department of State to chronicle the state’s diverse music traditions.
Materials are generally available through interlibrary loan or from our circulating collection.
Links within the bibliographies take you to information in our State Library catalog or to more information on external sites.
- Brant, Marley. Freebirds: The Lynyrd Skynyrd Story. Billboard Books, 2002.
- Buffett, Jimmy. A Pirate Looks at Fifty. Ballantine Books, 2000.
- Butler, Patricia. Angels Dance and Angels Die: The Tragic Romance of Pamela and Jim Morrison. Schirmer Books, 1998.
- Capouya, John. Florida Soul: From Ray Charles to KC and the Sunshine Band. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida.
- Curtis, Kurt. Florida’s Famous & Forgotten, an Illustrated History: History of Florida’s Rock, Soul & Dance Music, the First 30 Years 1955-1985. Florida Media, 2005.
- Florida Division of Arts and Culture. “Florida Artists Hall of Fame.” Florida Department of State. Hundley, Jessica, and Polly Parsons. Grievous Angel: An Intimate Biography of Gram Parsons. Thunder’s Mouth Press, 2005.
- Jourard, Marty. Music Everywhere: The Rock and Roll Roots of a Southern Town. University Press of Florida, 2016.
- Kealing, Bob. Calling Me Home: Gram Parsons and the Roots of Country Rock. University Press of Florida, 2012.
- Kealing, Bob. Elvis Ignited: The Rise of an Icon in Florida. University Press of Florida, 2017.
- Lemlich, Jeffrey M. Savage Lost: Florida Garage Bands, the ’60s and Beyond. Distinctive Publishing, 1992.
- Lydon, Michael. Ray Charles: Man and Music. Riverhead, 1998.
- Morrison, Jim. The Lords and the New Creatures: Poems. Simon and Schuster, 1987.
- Petty, Tom. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin’ Down a Dream. Chronicle Books, 2007.
- Ribowsky, Mark. Whiskey Bottles and Brand-New Cars: The Fast Life and Sudden Death of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Chicago Review Press, 2015.
- Ryan, Thomas. The Jimmy Buffett Trivia Book: 501 Questions and Answers for Parrot Heads. Carol Publishing Group, 1998.
- State Archives of Florida. “Ardys Bell With Elvis Presley - Jacksonville, Florida.” Florida Memory. Florida Division of Library and Information Services.
- State Archives of Florida. “The Beatles Are Back!” Florida Memory. Florida Division of Library and Information Services.
- State Archives of Florida. “Florida State University: Toward a Greater University.” Florida Memory. Florida Division of Library and Information Services.
- State Archives of Florida. “Have You Seen the King?” Florida Memory. Florida Division of Library and Information Services.
- State Archives of Florida. “Beatles Being Escorted From the George Washington Hotel to the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville.” Florida Memory. Florida Division of Library and Information Services.
- State Archives of Florida. “Bo Diddley Performs at the Florida Folk Festival, White Springs, Florida.” Florida Memory. Florida Division of Library and Information Services.
- State Archives of Florida. Images of Bo Diddley. Florida Memory. Florida Division of Library and Information Services.
- State Archives of Florida. "Ray Charles."Florida Memory. Florida Division of Library and Information Services.
- State Archives of Florida. “Ray Charles, video (13:49)” Florida Memory. Florida Division of Library and Information Services.
- Walker, Matt. Gainesville Punk: A History of Bands and Music. The History Press, 2016.
- Zanes, Warren. Petty: The Biography. Henry Holt, 2015.
