Who Is The Birthplace Of Country Music
The Birthplace of Country Music showcases Bristol, Tennessee and Bristol, Virginias role in the birth and development of country music through the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival, WBCM Radio Bristol, and a multitude of community and educational outreach programs.
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, tells the story of the 1927 Bristol Sessions recordings by the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, Ernest V. Stoneman, and others recordings that were influential in shaping the sounds and practices of early commercial country music. The museum explores how this rich musical heritage lives on in todays music, and how music from our region continues to influence music around the world.
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival is an electrifying music experience that features the very best roots music. Held annually the third weekend in September in historic downtown Bristol TN/VA, the three-day music is amped to the beat of Appalachias past, present, and future. The Festival digs down deep into the roots of the traditional Appalachian sound and lifts its branches to new heights. It all happens in the heart of the Birthplace of Country Music.
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Music Of East Tennessee
The Music of East Tennessee has a rich history, and played a major role in the development of modern country and bluegrass music.Bristol, known as “the birthplace of country music”, , and Johnson City, notable for the Johnson City recording sessions, are both towns in the Tri-Cities region of East Tennessee. The music of East Tennessee is defined by country, gospel, and bluegrass artists, and has roots in Appalachian folk music.
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion
The annual music Festival began in 2001 and has been a part of BCM since December, 2012. A 2015 Economic Impact Study showed that visitors to the Festival from outside the region had a $16.1 million impact on the region. The Festival generally hosts over 130 bands on 20 stages in downtown Bristol during the third weekend in September. Attendance has grown to approximately 45,000. Among its many accolades the Festival has been named as one of Rolling Stones Top 20 Tours and Festivals, and has won a Grand Pinnacle Award from the International Festival and Events Association.
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East Tennessee State University Bluegrassold
East Tennessee State University, in Johnson City, is the only four-year university in the world with a comprehensive bluegrass music program. The program includes faculty members who have worked with major recording artists, such as Kenny Chesney .
Artists from East Tennessee, such as Dolly Parton, Kenny Chesney, Rodney Atkins, and Ashley Monroe, continue to help define the country music industry. Greeneville is home to The Band Perry, also features occasional performances by the group.
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Fundraiser To Benefit The Birthplace Of Country Music Museum
Bristol Tenn./Va. The Birthplace of Country Music has announced the launch of its third annual Bristol Sessions Super Raffle, a big fundraiser for the Birthplace of Country Music Museum that gives participants the chance to win more than $250,000 in cash and prizes!
The Raffle drawing will take place on Sunday, September 12, 2021 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. outside the Birthplace of Country Music Museum during the 20th anniversary celebration of the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival. A winner will be drawn every five minutes during the four-hour event. Prizes include $25,000 in cash, a 2021 GCM Canyon, a 2021 Ford Bronco, a 2021 Subaru Crosstrek, an Indian Scout Sixty motorcycle, a vacation package with the destination of your choice, and much, much more!
This fundraiser is more important for our organization than ever, said Leah Ross, BCM Executive Director. Like so many businesses and organizations affected by COVID-19, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum was closed for a significant amount of time and lost revenue. We are very grateful to our partners for working with us this year to raise money for the museum.
Raffle tickets, each with two numbers, are $100 each. BCM is offering an incentive to ticket purchasers who buy multiple tickets.
The Buy 10 Get One Free offer gives the buyer a free ticket with the purchase of 10 tickets. All 10 purchased tickets and the free ticket must be in the single buyers name.
About The Birthplace Of Country Music Museum
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, tells the story of the 1927 Bristol Sessions recordings by the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, Ernest V. Stoneman, and others recordings that were influential in shaping the sounds and practices of early commercial country music. The museum explores how this rich musical heritage lives on in todays music, and how music from our region continues to influence music around the world.
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How Big A Role Did The 1927 Bristol Sessions Play In Country Music
The legendary Johnny Cash called them the single most important event in the history of country music.
In 1998, Congress designated Bristol the official Birthplace of Country Music. Today, the Birthplace of Country Music® keeps local music traditions alive and continues to tell the story of the musical and cultural heritage of the region, its role in the birth and development of country music, and its influence on music around the world.
Country Music features never-before-seen footage and photographs, plus interviews with more than 80 country music artists. The eight-part 16-hour series is directed and produced by Ken Burns written and produced by Dayton Duncan and produced by Julie Dunfey.
Pioneers In The Great Smoky Mountains
Pioneer settlers of the Great Smoky Mountains created old-time music ballads, before their relocation, by the creation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. To help celebrate this heritage, Townsend, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and other locations in the Great Smoky Mountains, host annual festivals, some of which feature folk and bluegrass music. The Great Smoky Mountains Association also promotes events with mountain music, and has released several award-winning albums, including: Old-Time Smoky Mountain Music, Old-Time Bluegrass from the Great Smoky Mountains, On Top of Old Smoky, and Big Bend Killing. The Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, in Townsend, also helps to preserve this pioneer cultural history. In addition, the Museum of Appalachia, in Norris, hosts occasional folk music performances.
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What We Aim To Solve
The 1927 Bristol Sessions resulted in Bristol TN/VA being designated the Birthplace of Country Music by the US Congress in 1998. The history, importance, impact, and legacy of those Bristol Sessions need to be promoted, perpetuated and celebrated for the general benefit of the people of Bristol and the surrounding region, and for the general understanding of the role of the Bristol Sessions in the history of American music.
What Comprises The Birthplace Of Country Music
The Birthplace of Country Music is a 501 nonprofit organization that seeks to perpetuate, promote, and celebrate Bristols rich musical heritage to educate and engage audiences worldwide regarding the history, impact and legacy of the 1927 Bristol Sessions from which we derive our name and to create recognition, opportunities, and economic benefit for our local and regional communities.BCM accomplishes this mission through its three primary branches , special projects and events, and a multitude of community and educational outreach programs. A brief description of the three primary entities follows:
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Birthplace Of Country Music
In 1998 the United States Congress passed aresolution recognizing Bristol, Tennessee, as the “Birthplace ofCounty Music.” This project traces the history of how Bristol cameto earn the title, beginning with the region’s southern Appalachiansettlers in the 1700s who brought with them, in old-world balladsand songs, the music of their native Scottish Highlands. Althoughshielded by geography from outside influences during the 18th andearly 19th centuries, the area’s music began to evolve rapidlyduring the Civil War period when the region was opened by therailroads. Touring vaudeville, minstrel and medicine-show troupes,and the railroad workers themselves, with a variety of work songsreflecting their African heritage, brought rapid changes to thesettlers’ original music. The native fiddle of the English, Scotch,and Irish settlers was joined by the banjo of African origin. AfterWWI, the guitar, autoharp, and dulcimer were introduced into themix.
The project is documented with a 22-page report onthe “Bristol Music Story,” brief biographies of the Carter Family,Jimmie Rodgers, the Stonemans, a log of recordings in the “BristolSessions,” 25 historic photographs with descriptions, and avideotape “Bristol – Birthplace of Country Music.”
Originally submitted by: Fred Thompson, Senator & William Frist, Senator.
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Birthplace Of Country Music Museum Presents Histories Of Black Life And Music In Appalachia
Renowned sociologist, anthropologist and author Dr. William H. Turner and East Tennessee State University professor Dr. Ted Olson will be the featured speakers in Tuesdays Histories of Black Life and Music in Appalachia at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. The program is also available virtually via Zoom.
BRISTOL The Birthplace of Country Music Museum will present Histories of Black Life and Music in Appalachia with renowned sociologist, anthropologist and author Dr. William H. Turner and East Tennessee State University professor Dr. Ted Olson on Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m.
We are excited to be welcoming Drs. Turner and Olson to the museum for our February Speaker Series, said Dr. Rene Rodgers, museum head curator. African American musical traditions are integral to Appalachian music and an important part of the history of early country music this program will provide a deeper understanding of those connections and the Black experience in Appalachia.
Turner and Olson will discuss music, including the Sepia Tones: Exploring Black Appalachian Music podcast, and Turners book, The Harlan Renaissance: Stories of Black Life in Appalachian Coal Towns. The program is available for both in-person attendees and via Zoom.
Olson, professor of Appalachian Studies and Bluegrass, Old-Time and Country Music Studies at ETSU, presently co-hosts with Turner the podcast theyll be discussing.
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Birthplace Of Country Music Museum
Bristol is home to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, which opened in August, 2014. The 24,000-square foot museum documents Bristols story as the
Bristol is home to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, which opened in August, 2014. The 24,000-square foot museum documents Bristols story as the Birthplace of Country Music and the 1927 Bristol Sessions through permanent, technology-infused exhibits, a special exhibits gallery, education programs, multiple film experiences and a theater dedicated exclusively to live, year-round music performances. The music legacy is now available over the airwaves with the new WBCM radio station.
Birthplace of Country Music Museum
101 Country Music Way
Songs Inspired By East Tennessee
Places in East Tennessee have been the inspiration for many songs. Perhaps the most well-known is Rocky Top. Released by the Osbourne Brothers in 1967, it is one of the ten state songs of Tennessee. Though often performed at Tennessee Volunteers football games, it is not the official fight song of the University of Tennessee . In addition, Rocky Top, Tennessee is now a town, northwest of Knoxville, which changed its name from Lake City in 2014.
The Ballad of Davy Crockett helped to popularize the 1955 film Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier. First recorded and introduced on the television series Disneyland in 1954, it has been covered by a number of artists, most notably Tennessee Ernie Ford. The song’s lyrics say Crockett was “born on a mountaintop in Tennessee”, but his actual birthplace was Limestone, Tennessee, the home of Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park. In addition to his renowned frontier exploits and military service, Crockett served East Tennessee as a state legislator and Congressman.
The folk hero Daniel Boone, who helped explore East Tennessee, was honored in the soundtrack for the television series Daniel Boone, which ran from 1964 until 1970. The last of three versions of the theme song was sung by The Imperials, a Grammy-winning Christian music group.
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Mountain City Fiddlers Convention
Cumberland Gap
The song was named for Cumberland Gap, a narrow pass through the Cumberland Mountains, which was explored by Daniel Boone in the 1770s, as he blazed the Wilderness Road. In recognition of this heritage, the town of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, hosts the monthly “Cumberland Mountain Music Show”, with live gospel, bluegrass, and country music.
Laurel Bloomery festival
To commemorate the Mountain City Fiddlers’ Convention, the nearby community of Laurel Bloomery hosts the annual Old Time Fiddler’s Convention. The event is held every summer, at the town’s Old Mill Music Park. Area musicians travel to attend this festival, which features old-time folk and bluegrass music.
The Bristol recording sessions, held in 1927, have been called by some the “Big Bang” of modern country music. They helped launch the careers of Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family, among others. In 1998, the U.S. Congress formally recognized Bristol as the “Birthplace of Country Music”, and the Birthplace of Country Music Museum opened in 2014.
The Birthplace Of Country Music Museum
The 24,000-square foot museum is located at 520 Birthplace of Country Music Way in Historic Downtown Bristol. Through text and artifacts, multiple theater experiences, film and sound, and interactive, technology-infused displays along with a variety of educational programs, music programs, and community events — the exciting story of this music and its far-reaching influence comes alive! Rotating exhibitions from guest curators and other institutions, including the Smithsonian, will be featured throughout the year in the Special Exhibits Gallery. The museum will also be home to an extensive digital archive.
520 Birthplace of Country Music Way, Bristol VA 24201Abingdon, VA
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Regional Museums And Heritage Centers
East Tennessee has an impressive number of museums, which comprehensively document the region’s contributions to country and bluegrass music:
The music of East Tennessee is celebrated throughout the region at annual festivals. The Museum of Appalachia hosts the Tennessee Fall Homecoming each October. The four-day event has featured headliners such as Doc Watson, Ralph Stanley, Mac Wiseman, , and Rhonda Vincent. The Kingsport “Fun Fest” is held each July, and has included Charlie Daniels, as well as The Newsboys, among others.Heritage Days, a street festival event, is hosted each October, in Rogersville. The Shady Valley Cranberry Festival, also in October, has live country, bluegrass and gospel entertainment.
How We Listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Heres how this organization is listening.
done
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys ,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations,
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
Our staff, Our board,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
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