The performances heard here were recorded on acetate discs (meant to be played only once or twice) that were shelved in 1951, and they gradually faded from common memory. In the 1970s the acetates were saved from the trash by a WSM employee and eventually given to Hanks daughter, Jett. On behalf of the estate, Jett fought an eight-year battle to establish ownership, finally winning the right to release these recordings in partnership with Time Life.