Birthplace of Country Music Museum

An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, The Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, Tennessee tells the story of the importance of Bristol to the history of country music. It was in Bristol in the summer of 1927 that record producer Ralph Peer of the Victor Talking Machine Company conducted the first recording sessions with 19 performers, most notably Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family. These sessions, known as the "Bristol Sessions," launched the commercialization of country music and Johnny Cash would later say that was "the most important event in the history of country music." The Museum regularly presents educational programs, concerts, jam sessions, film screenings, lectures, and workshops.

The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is located around 300 miles east of Nashville in Bristol, Tennessee, considered the birthplace of country music. Right on the border of Tennessee and Virginia, this quaint town nestled in the Appalachian Mountains is where the "big bang of country music" occurred in the summer of 1927. A talent scout from New York for the Victor Talking Machine Company named Ralph Peer ventured down to Bristol in the late summer of 1927 to hold auditions and find the right Southern talent for the growing recording industry. Peer enlisted the help of musician Ernest Stoneman to help him recruit the talent. Stoneman had been recording "hillbilly music" since 1924 and knew what type of performers Peer was looking for.

Peer set up a recording studio on State Street in an abandoned hat factory and placed an ad in the local paper inviting any interested performers to come and audition. Some of the more remembered artists who took part in the sessions were Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family, consisting of Sara, A.P,. and Maybelle Carter. The Carter Family recorded four songs during one evening session, and then two more the following morning. In total, 76 songs by 19 different artists were recorded. The 1927 Bristol Sessions launched the commercialization of country music and helped the genre reach a wider audience. Because of Bristol's impact, Congress officially named it the "Birthplace of Country Music" in 1998.

The Birthplace of Country Music Museum, deemed an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, was officially opened in the summer of 2014 and cost a total of $11 million. The Museum, which is 24,000 square feet, is not only dedicated to the 1927 Bristol Sessions, but also the history of country music and the town of Bristol and the Appalachian region. Some of the more notable items on display are: a signed guitar that belonged to Johnny Cash, an introductory film called Bound to Bristol, a map detailing the homes of each performer who recorded in the Bristol Sessions, WBCM Bristol Radio station, and the original 1927 newspaper ad announcing the auditions.

In the Museum, visitors can view permanent exhibits, as well as some that are interactive, and special temporary exhibits. A few of the former temporary exhibits include: "The Carter Family: Lives and Legacies," "American Ballads: The Photographs of Marty Stuart," "Reading Appalachia: Voices from Children's Literature," and "I Have a Voice: Tennessee's African American Musical Heritage."

The nonprofit Birthplace of Country Music was established to celebrate and promote the history of Bristol's musical heritage and its lasting impact. In addition to the Museum, The Birthplace of Country Music has two other branches: Festival and Radio. They host special events year-round as well as community and educational programs. One of the key events is the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion held every September. The Festival brings in around 45,000 attendees and hosts around 130 bands. Radio Bristol, which airs live from the Museum, was launched in August of 2015 and has listeners in more than 140 countries. The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is a premiere museum that celebrates the musical culture of the Appalachian Region and the town that launched country music.

BGS Staff. A Trip to Bristol: The Birthplace of Country Music, The Bluegrass Situation. November 13th, 2015. Accessed September 22nd, 2022. https://thebluegrasssituation.com/read/a-trip-to-bristol-the-birthplace-of-country-music/.

About the Birthplace of Country Music, The Birthplace of Country Music. Accessed September 22nd, 2022. https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/about/.

Our Exhibits, The Birthplace of Country Music. Accessed September 23rd, 2022. https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/museum/exhibits/.

The Carter Family: Will the Circle Be Unbroken - Ralph Peer, PBS. Accessed September 24th, 2022. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/carterfamily-ralph-peer/.