I can't say that I do original historical research, except perhpas for the personal (family) history songs ... and I don't know of a song writer who does, but there may be some. Songwriting has a different purpose the does history - generally - my goal in telling a history in song is to pass on the personal/human issues shaped by a historical event or era. A history wants to feret out all the facts around that same era or event. In a song you wnat to say how an event impacted a life ... in a history you want to reconstruct the backdrop of that life.

Having said all that - one song I wrote was based upon the few facts I could find about an Irish immigrant family. I made up the the story based upon the original historical research from ship lists, enlistment lists and military records - that song is PRAYER FROM LITTLE ROUND TOP. Less history, more fiction - but original historical research.