Do you Know the Birthplace of Country Music

Quick country music fans. What’s the significance of Bristol, Tennessee? If you’re really a country music buff, you should know that in 1998, the United Stated Congress named this small, sleepy southern town the birthplace of country music. It all began in the 1700s when the region’s southern Appalachian settlers brought with them—in old world ballads and songs, the music of their native Scottish Highlands. During the 1800’s and early 1900s, the region was separated from outside influences by geography. But around the time of the Civil War it was opened up to the outside world by the advent of railroads. During this time, there were touring vaudeville, minstrel and medicine-show troupes in the community that introduced new forms of music. In addition, the railroad workers themselves brought rapid changes to the settlers’ original music by introducing a variety of work songs reflecting their African heritage. The native fiddle of the English, Scotch, and Irish settlers was joined by the banjo of African origin. After WWI, the guitar, autoharp, and dulcimer were introduced into the mix.

The music that was coming out of Bristol, Tennessee took another giant leap forward with Edison’s invention of the phonograph in the 1920s. A man named Ralph Peer realized that there was an untapped market for rural mountain music and set out to discover area talent. During this time period most musicians traveled to New York to record there music, but when remote recordings became a possibility, Bristol became the hub of Peer’s musical enterprise because of its proximity to such local talent as Ernest and Hattie Stoneman, the Johnson Brothers, and Henry Whitter. Soon talent from other southern states, including West Virginia, Virginia (the Carter Family) and North Carolina (Jimmie Rodgers) was recorded by Peer. These early recording sessions which took place in 1927 were known as the “Bristol Sessions” and signified the birth of country music.

The sound that came out of the “Bristol Sessions” influenced the bluegrass of musicians such as Bill Monroe and Flatt and Scruggs, as well as the song-writing of Hank Williams and Woody Guthrie. This influence could also be seen in the guitar-playing of Roy Acuff and Chet Atkins, in the sound of Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan, and in the song-stylings of Hank Snow, Ernest Tubb, Merle Travis, Merle Haggard, Dwight Yoakum and Dolly Parton. This country music sound became extremely popular during the “barn dance” shows of the radio era and bluegrass festivals of the 1960s and 70s. In the mid-1990s, the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance (BCMA) was founded in Bristol to call attention to and support the musical traditions of the area.

Today, nestled between quiet mountains, Bristol is thriving community with the unique quality of being located in two states–half in Tennessee and half in Virginia. However, there is no question that Bristol stands at the heart of all country music fans hold near and dear.

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About the Author

I have written for newspapers and magazines nationwide, including The New York Times and Newsweek.

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