Marci and Alan Shoemaker
Interview with Alan and Marci Shoemaker
April 1, 2023 Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL
Interviewers: Hunter Lindquist, Annabella Nelson, and Tyler Tucker HL: Hunter Lindquist AN: Annabella Nelson TT: Tyler Tucker AS: Alan Shoemaker MS: Marci Shoemaker
TT: I'm just going to say my name, I'm Tyler I'm part of the History harvest class.
HL: My name’s Hunter with History Harvest.
AN: My name is Annabella, and we are recording on April first for the Farm Aid History Harvest.
HL: Now--We're recording?
TT: Yes, sorry.
HL: Okay, right off the top, I want to talk about this Charlie Daniels hat you have here. Um, did you get this? Where did you get this?
AS: Yeah, I'm actually, I was actually a coal miner back then, but I, I played in a band at night and um, uh so one of the guys that was a coal miner that I worked with, he was on a volunteer group that came and, volunteered to be a roadie and move equipment and change bands in and out. Well, um, th-- uh Marci was at the show that day, but I came about 10:00 o'clock in the morning, and when I did that, um, I ran into him and I can't recall his name now, unfortunately, but he came, uh, he saw me and he uh says, hey, man, you want this hat? He came from back in the back and he goes Charlie Daniels was wearing it and um, uh and uh, and he, he just uh gave it to me, so I gave it to my mother-in-law. She was wearing it. I was kind of a rock guy back then and not a country guy, but you know. But anyway, yeah. So that's, that's all it was. It was a, and that guy did tell me some stories. I can't remember enough of them to, to really tell me, to tell you anything about that. But he was a volunteer roadie, that just came up here and talked about all the people he got to see.
HL: That’s wonderful
AS: --Yeah, it was really neat.
AN: Yeah, I'm so sorry, we forgot to ask--we have to ask your names and to ask to spell it for the recording.
MS: Okay AS: Okay
HL: I apo- I jumped the gun I was so excited about this hat.
AS: Well, you asked about the hat that, that's h-a-t.
MS: Okay, Mr. comedian.
AS: All right, I'm Alan Shoemaker. A-l-a-n S-h-o-e-m-a-k-e-r.
MS: Marci Shoemaker, M-a-r-c-i S-h-o-e-m-a-k-e-r.
HL: Wonderful AN: Thank you so much, yeah. (Marci laughs)
AS: And how old was our—daughter--
MS: Oh
AS: --Or did we have just two?
MS: We had two. (speaking at same time)
MS: We had a five-year-old and a two-year-old at home, so we had to get a babysitter (laughter) for the day, so we could come up here (laughs).
AS: And we still go to live music today.
MS: Um-hm
AN: Oh, wow.
HL/AN: (speaking at same time) HL: You go
AN: So, what made you interested in Farm Aid? Or how did you hear about it?
MS: Well, had to be everything in the paper. Yeah, it had to be everything in the paper we kept--
AS: Well, your dad was a farmer
MS: --Yeah, my dad was a farmer too, so I had a little bit to do with it. And then, of course, my mom, who is a huge fan of country anyway, and when she heard this was coming, you know, we just had to go. So I got to come earlier because he was still working on night shift and the only thing that made me mad is this Foreigner was on the stage and I had to go over and meet him to bring him to our seats (laughter) and I see everybody doing this. I heard you guys got to see that part, I love that part.
HL: Where they bring out the choir.
MS: Yes! And I heard they're trying to figure out--
HL: Um-hm
MS: --what choir it was.
AN: Yeah
HL: Yeah, they don't know.
MS: That is unbelievable.
AS: Um-hm
MS: It has to be from one of the churches up here, though--
AS: Oh yeah--
MS: --really does.
AS: --That's the way they do it now--
MS: Yeah, yeah
AS: Because they did, I think they give, scholarship money or something--
MS: Uh-huh, um-hm
AS: --to the school that does it.
MS: But it was huge event and being this close, we had to go, yeah.
AS: Plus, we love, we love live music. You know, we, we've gone to a lot of shows and this was a slam dunk having that many bands, variety of music--
MS: Um-hm
AS: --this close, I mean. It was, it was awesome.
HL: And it's, it, your, your family's farmers--
MS: Um-hm
HL: --it's an issue that affected you--
AS: Um-hm
MS: Yes, yeah
HL: --too, like, did the farm crisis really loom over the era?
MS: I really think so it did. My dad ended up having to retire early from farming, and none of our siblings or nobody went back and went into it. Dad was one of those farmers that didn't even own his own ground, he had to cash rent and that was a struggle because we had six kids. But to put food on the table, my mom, when the youngest dau-- sister got into grade school, and that's when she went to work, so that she had income too, yep
AS: Wish I still had my shirt from that day (laughter) because I know we bought the Farm aid shirt, T-shirt.
AN: Did you--
AS: Did you guys see any of those? (speaking at same time)
AN: Um, yeah--
TT: I have, yeah--
MS: Have you? (speaking at same time)
AN: Yeah, there’s one at the museum--
TT: They’re at the--
TT: Yeah the Champaign County History Museum yeah, we have like a signed hat from Willie Nelson, it’s pretty cool. (speaking at same time)
AS: Yeah.
MS: Cool.
AN: Did you buy it? Like through the event or did--
AS: Yeah, yeah
AN: --you buy it from--okay.
AS: Bought it through the event, had the tractor on the front of it with (Marci laughs) the flag, red, white, and blue.
MS: Yeah, that's probably on here somewhere.
AS: Think I outgrew it. (laughter)
MS: But yeah, there it is, that one.
AS: Yeah
MS: So, what else you want to know?
AN: What do you think, like, the reaction of the community after the event was?
MS: Seems like I do remember articles in the paper like a full-page thing about the pros and cons of course. The stadium probably didn't have liquor service then, did it? Di- have you--
TT: I don’t think so.
MS: --guys discussed that?
HL: Nobody's mentioned it. (speaking at same time)
AN: No. (laughs)
MS: Yeah.
TT: Yeah.
MS: I was—isn't it funny, why did I think of that? But on, the on the ticket, it says no cans, bottles and coolers, so I'm like, you know, I bet they didn't have but sodas--
HL: Um-hm.
TT: Um-hm.
MS: --and waters and stuff like that--
AS: Um-hm.
MS: So, that's not going to deter anybody--
TT: Right. (laughs)
MS: --away. You know, I don't know how many snuck in and out--
TT: Right. (Annabella laughs)
MS: --and anything like that but--
AS: You know, in general Champaign, Urbana was known for music and live music. It was a stop-off between the bands that were trying to make it big, you know, from Chicago to Saint Louis. This was a perfect--
MS: Um-hm
AS: --college town, and there was highly skilled musicians and, uh, um, PA people you know, lighting people, all that kind of stuff here, so that, the, you kind of got that, you know, DNA in this in this town, so when something like this came to town, it was just really, really cool.
MS: That's true.
HL: And being fans of live music, was there anyone in particular that made, like, stuck out? Like, that just stuck out on the concert list for you?
MS: Foreigner.
HL: Foreigner?
MS: Because when they started doing-- what did she meant-- she mentioned the song when we were walking up here. Do you remember the song? (speaking at same time)
MS: I can't-- this title.
AS: The, uh, um.
HL: “I Want To Know What Love Is?” (speaking at same time)
MS: Yes.
AS: Yeah, that's what it is, yeah.
MS: And everybody's doing this, and that is what is stuck in my head--
HL: Yep.
MS: --seeing the whole stadium doing that.
AS: Um-hm
MS: And, and I, I mean I, no, I think when I had to go get you was when, uh, Bon Jovi was--
AS: Bon Jovi was playing.
MS: --on stage with all that hair. (laughter)
MS: All of them had that big, huge hair.
AS: Um-hm, yeah.
MS: Yeah, that was cool.
AS: I like Mellencamp, you know, because he brought out other guys with him to sing, too, but I'm from Indiana originally, and that's where he's from, and he's just, but I mean, he talks right to the soul or sings right to the soul.
MS: Um-hm.
AS: So that's, just kind of our stuff.
MS: Yep
AS: You know, but, it's cool you guys are doing this.
HL: Um-hm
AN: Yeah
AN: Can you describe, like, the day of the concert, how you got there, how long you waited, where you were in the crowd?
MS: Okay when, we had to park somewhere on that side. And I’ve never lined up, any-- I mean, I've come to many football game and everything, but we lined up down that side. It was odd to me and so that's how we came in, it, it was kind of damp, cold ish. And it rained, so we had, like, ponchos and stuff like that. Uh, then it stopped. Um, but, what? What? What do you guys have that it was, went to? When did it start? When did it finish? Do you guys recall, or have any details on that? No? Uh, does somebody?
AN: I think that the, our last interview said they left around midnight--
MS: Okay.
AN: --but I'm guessing it might have gone longer than that (laughs).
HL: Late into the--
AN: Yeah.
HL: --night I bet
MS: And I'm just wondering if you stayed later than me because I had to get home to the kids.
AS: No, I think we had to get back because I was working night shift.
MS: Oh.
AS: And, and we had a babysitter--
MS: Yeah.
AS: --so we had to, we had to get back, but we spent the, the--
MS: Yeah, I don't think we got to stay for the whole thing.
AS: --we, we, we, spent a big part of the day--
MS: Yeah.
AS: --there, you know. If I remember the rain kind of come and went, didn't it--
MS Um-hm, um-hm.
AS: --a few times, light drizzles and stuff.
MS: Um-hm. Yeah, yeah.
AS: You know, but.
MS: But we sat in the stands we did on this side, towards that way, um--
AS: About on the 20-yard line.
MS: Yeah, it's just too hard when you're on the, on the floor or the ground of anything and everybody wants to stand up. So, you know, you don't sit much.
AS: Um-hm. (Marci laughs)
MS: So--
AS: But everybody was happy, never saw any trouble or anything like that. You know, I think it was a cool show.
MS: Um-hm. HL: Everyone’s just feeling the music-- (speaking at same time)
MS: Oh, yes, yes.
AS: Um-hm, um-hm.
HL: --they’re there for the positivity, the message of the show
MS: Um-hm.
AS: I mean, every—Well, you know, this was kind of, I don't know if it was towards the beginning of the era, some of these festivals, but wasn't the, the World Festival, uh.
MS: We are the world.
AS: The, uh.
MS: Um.
AS: You know, there were other festivals that were--
MS: That was the African one.
AS: --months before that that were kind of walking right into this--
HL: Live Aid.
AN: Li- yeah.
MS: Yes.
AS: Yeah, Live Aid, you know, things like that. And it was just starting to kind of become a little bit of a thing that anybody who is somebody is playing, you know, so, it, it was pretty cool, it was pretty cool. You guys get a chance to do something like that someday, you better. (Marci laughs)
HL: Do you think the show really impacted farm communities?
MS: I think so with the money that they raised, and I mean, for it to still be going--
HL: Yeah.
MS: --today? Who's to say that didn't stop in five years and, and it disintegrated? But look how well they have kept it together. Yeah, I'm frustrated that they haven't brought it back here (laughter) since it, you know, has been that long. I think that's something that man, if we could get that achievement--
TT: Um-hm.
MS: --and get them back here for when you guys open up the display that would be, that would be awesome.
AS: Are you guys getting a lot of memorabilia and stuff for, for it?
AN: Yeah, definitely, we’ve gotten a lot of pictures, someone just brought in a scrapbook, and then we have, Willie Nelson's hat. But that's (laughter) been here for a while, so.
HL: T-shirts, concert stubs.
MS: Uh-huh, yep. Now mine hangs in my bathroom at our home. We have a celebrity bathroom is what we call it, it has pictures of all the autographs (laughter). We've got m-- we didn't, we didn't, get any this day, but--
AS: No, we weren’t doing it then--
MS: Yeah.
AS: --we were doing it--
MS: Yeah, we were just more interested in listening to the music and--
AS: We always--
MS: --and, and everything.
AS: kept our, our ticket stubs for most of the shows--
MS: Uh-hm, yep.
AS: --we went to, you know, so. It's, it's pretty, it's pretty neat, well we're just weird about that, we like it, the, the music, you know, but it, our celebrity bathroom was actually on channel 3 one time and they, they even took a shot at us (laughter). But, but from the ceiling all the way down to almost the floor, we have pictures of, of some of them with us or some of them, with, that we just got the autograph from them that are addressed to us, you know, and, or er--
MS: Red Grange is one of them.
AS:
AS: --and to her or me.
TT: Oh, wow, that’s awesome.
AS: Yeah.
MS: The statue. (Annabella laughs) AS: The one she's got of Red Grange is, is very, very, very special.
MS: Yeah, I was working for the paper in Tuscola and Alan took a picture of me getting his autograph on an article that I wrote about him--
TT: Oh, wow.
MS: --and he was, happened to be coming back for the Hall of Fame or something here at the stadium, and I met him at, that was when Willard was just that real little thing, and you could just walk right up and see anyone who was coming in and out, it was so awesome.
AS: Ya he had her bend over and he wrote it right on her back, the autograph- - MS: It was cool
AS: He signed the article she wrote. --
HL: Oh wonderful And I got pictures of him signing it too so --
MS: We’re geeks can’t you tell?
AN: So did you guys try to see any of the musicians that were playing, try to interact with them or were you not able to at all?
MS: We didn’t
AS: We didn’t
MS: I think they still did the photo line because that’s kinda what country music is known for, is you could walk up to the stage, take your pictures, but you gotta keep walking, you couldn’t just stay there. I Remember that part of it cuz I did get close for a couple pictures, but um, it was easier to just sit down and listen, yeah.
AS: If we knew then what we know now we probably would’ve took more pictures and done more things but you know we were young raising a family, so, it was a day off for us to go play but we made the best of it though, made the best of it.
HL: For Farm Aid being such like a monumental event at the time, why do you think it's been almost forgotten by younger generations? Because like there’s people on the campus right now that have never even heard of the event
MS: Wow! … hmmm.. Like I said, I’m tickled to death that its still going, and they must be able to help farmers with their finances because, I mean we’ve always kept in touch with them trying to see where the next concert would be and everything, but I mean it’s not as big a thing as it was that day when it was, I think some of it was on TV, so they were televising kinda like they did with Live AId and getting the money donated that way too so, but, for it to keep going this long says a lot for those guys and you know, being the, you know for the longest time I think the address for Farm Aid was Champaign, IL, and then now I noticed it's a different address but yeah
AS: I think it's a generational thing too because your generation you know, you didn’t, you probably didn't grow up knowing that many farm families or anything like that. Well in central Illinois you do, so around here you know, um, a lot of people understood the ups and downs of the business and the challenges of raising a family you know so that’s one thing I think that is different because you just weren’t brought into it you know you, weren't aware of it and I’d like to think that's that the show did you know, that why they tried to get people’s attention because you had all kinds of different artists here that represent or sing to different types of people and bringing all those different types of people to it you know to learn about the farm situation right here in central Illinois where you know, the corn was 7 feet tall, you know, and they could understand a little bit more about it, you know, and that's why I think they don't really know much about it, you know. Of course now a lot of your universities have people from different countries even, you know it's part of our country and unless someone shows them or explains it to them they’re not gonna know much about it. Around here, everybody knows a farmer or farm family of some sort.
MS: But I think back then we were all interested in the music part of it too. That’s what brought everyone together, but then you gotta think about why you’re there, what they’re trying to do.
AS: I really think this was part of an era, you know, this, this was really coming from uh when Woodstock had a show with all those artists and that brought in a lot of people and I think. you know, that carried on in a little bit different more organized more business-like fashion than say Woodstock was
MS: To say the least!
AS: Now you have these festivals, I know of people going to all kinds of different festivals through the summer now because it's something that people like you know its a place to see different artists you know and it may not have a message any more than just listen to their music, they’re selling their music, whereas this here you had all these people selling their music trying to – *Phone rings*
MS: Whoops
AS: Selling their music to uh, get your attention for the uh, uhm, awareness of you know, to bring all the awareness about the farm situation people understand and how much is really done right here in the United States, let alone central illinois. You know, we’re still number one in beans and corn I think this last year.
MS: You guys gonna get a chance to interview anyone that was performing or any of the guys Mellencamp or um Willie? Any of those guys that were actually the people that formed it, started it.
AS: I know who you need to talk to…
AN: Who?
AS: Mark Jones, you know who he is?
HL: I do not
MS: Wait till you hear--
AS: He just retired, he was the athletic photographer for the --
MS: Here!
AS: U of I athletics. I can hook you up with him. I-I can, and he would love to talk to ya, cuz he loves to talk, but he has very rare pictures just to show you I’m not lying–
MS: Cuz he got backstage, he got pictures of everybody, and he could tell you stories about probably about each performer --
AS: Oh man I gotta hook you guys up --
MS: So you guyshaven’t heard anything about him yet?
AN: No
HL: We had someone who was a photographer
AN: For here
AS: This guy used to, Mark Jones used to be a photographer for here he did all the basketball football that kinda stuff
MS: What are you gonna try to show them?
AS: I’m gonna show them those pictures they told me not to show anybody --
MS: Laughs
HL: Candid Bob Dylan Photos
MS: What??
AS: How did you know?
TT: We heard the rumors
MS: Laughs
HL: Someone did have a Bob Dylan anecdote
TT: He was like smoking at his trailer or something
AN: Someone was rude to him, their friend was like that was Bob Dylan!
TT: They had to move him out of the way or something
AS: But, uh, He will tell you, he had something to do with being the photographer for Farm Aid, you guys gotta know about him because Willie Nelson and him communicated and Willie asked him, I believe it was at the Illinois State fair, Mark took some pictures of him, and gave them to him, and he loved them, and he called him out of the blue and asked him if he would be the photographer at Farm Aid, they were getting ready to have a big concert there. I’m not kidding
MS: And Mark Jones is retired now but he lives in Arthur still
TT: Oh, cool
MS: I bet you could probably share the phone number with them
AS; Oh, yeah
HL: The Champaign County History Museum would love that
MS: Oh my gosh
HL: They’re gonna be setting up future interviews and, like, another day for item collection --
MS: Ok now, ok, now I keep hearing two things. Champaign County Museum and I’m hearing Spurlock. Ok so and then there’s the Cattle Bank --
TT: That is champaign county history museum
MS: That is the CHampaign COunty history museum, ok
AN: They’re here today, you can talk to them out there they're sitting in like, those armchairs sort of towards, by the lounge over there and they will hook you up with a future interview and anything you need
MS: Oh cool, cool!
HL: And then the spurlock, um, in a couple years from now, for what is it ? the 40 --
MS: It’s gonna be the 40th, yes HL: And then for that year, they are doing a huge exhibit for Farm AId.
MS: Now you guys won’t still be here will you?
AN: No, unfortunately
MS: So all you’re doing is all the research and you gotta hand it over to somebody else! But you need to come back, but we all need to send messages to them and say ‘look, this is what you guys are doing and look, try to get this redone here.’ Wouldn’t that be cool! Ya I think we just all gotta do it. I’ll spread the word too.
TT: I didn’t know there was interest
MS: I know, see!
TT: Like how has it not come back here
AS: There’s a picture of him
MS: That’s Mark
AS: That’s Mark himself, but I'm, uh he actually has a picture of Dylan at sound check and um, Dylan let him take the the picture and security came over and tried to stop him if I think that’s the way it went and he uh said that uh --
MS: Oh my gosh i'm so glad you thought of that dear
AS: Oh yeah you folks really need to talk to him
MS: You would probably sit here for two days im not joking, not joking
AS: There he is with Bill Murray
TT: Wow
AS: This guy he uh, I told him if you want to, now that he's retired, I said I’ll be your agent if you want me to
MS: Well see now you got a head start! While he searches, anything else you have questions about?
AN: I will look at the questions, We’ve covered a lot
MS: Yeah!
TT: That’s a great picture too, thats awesome
AS: Because they said dylan never let anybody photograph him
TT: Really?
HL: That could be an album cover
MS; Oh, jeez
AS: And dylan stopped security and said it was ok for him to take the picture but you need to talk to Mark uh, cuz Mark did mention
MS: Oh we’re on time frame right
AS: Mark, Mark, uh, his connection to Willie is what got him here and that was directly part of Farm Aid. Okay. Now let me give you his phone number
AN: Ok
HL: Uh we don’t need that right now
AN: Uh no we can take that down but we can stop the recording too, thank you so much!
MS: OH you’re welcome, oh you’re welcome!! AS: I’m gonna text him and let him know you guys might get a hold of him, he might show up here too who knows
MS: I know that would be cool!
This set of recordings is of a range of participants in the Farm Aid concert of 1985, and is to be used only for historical research and educational purposes. Interviews were conducted with the express written consent of all participants. This collection was compiled by the Champaign County History Museum and the Spring 2023 History Harvest class at the University of Illinois. These recordings are presented with transcripts of their contents.