He edited and in 1994 published "Pop Chronicles: the 40's" as a four-cassette audiobook. This book was also called "The Big Band Chronicles". When he was retired, he still worked for KREB in Houston and KXIC in Quanah. He died in 1998. In 2003, Gilliland's sister donated the Pop Chronicles tapes to the University of North Texas Music Library.  They form The John Gilliland Collection.