Bristol in Sullivan County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Birthplace of Country Music

Bristol, Tennessee • Virginia

— Historic Downtown Bristol —

Photographed By Kathy Walker, October 19, 2009

1. Historic Downtown Bristol Marker

Inscription.

Birthplace of Country Music. Bristol, Tennessee . Virginia. Bristol has long been known as a hub for traditional mountain music. In the summer of 1927, Ralph Peer, a record producer from Victor Talking Machine Company, traveled to Bristol and set up a portable recording studio four blocks east of this location. During his twelve days in Bristol, Mr. Peer recorded seventy-six songs by nineteen different acts capturing a wide cross section of traditional Appalachian music, including old time dance tunes, ballads, gospel songs, blues, and others. These sessions also produced the first recordings of the Carter Family from nearby Maces Spring, Virginia - "the First Family of Country Music" - and Jimmie Rodgers - "the Father of Country Music." , , Music Historians consider these recordings to be the beginnings of the commercial country music industry and in 1998 the United States Congress declared Bristol the "Birthplace of County Music." , , While Peer's 1927 recordings stand as a milestone in the development of country music, the musical heritage of Bristol continued after those recordings. In the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, radio programs in Bristol, most notably WCBY's Farm and Fun Time, became popular and assisted in the development of a new genre of music - bluegrass. , , Today, the rich musical heritage of Bristol remains vibrant. Bristol sits in the middle of Virginia's Heritage Music Trail The Crooked Road, with the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance as a major venue along the trail. Dozens of musical venues in Bristol or nearby offer tradtitional Appalachian music on a regular year round basis with many of these concentrated in downtown Bristol. , , The area in front of this mural has become a center for many of those community events. The stage in front of this mural plays host to a variety of weekly musical events from May through October. The area houses one of the main stages from the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion festival, held annually the third weekend of September. From April through October, a local Farmer's Market operated twice weekly. It is also a stop on the downtown audio walking tour. , For more information about our region's musical heritage, visit www.birthplaceofcountrymusic.org

Bristol has long been known as a hub for traditional mountain music. In the summer of 1927, Ralph Peer, a record producer from Victor Talking Machine Company, traveled to Bristol and set up a portable recording studio four blocks east of this location. During his twelve days in Bristol, Mr. Peer recorded seventy-six songs by nineteen different acts capturing a wide cross section of traditional Appalachian music, including old time dance tunes, ballads, gospel songs, blues, and others. These sessions also produced the first recordings of the Carter Family from nearby Maces Spring, Virginia - "the First Family of Country Music" - and Jimmie Rodgers - "the Father of Country Music."

Music Historians consider these recordings to be the beginnings of the commercial country music industry and in 1998 the United States Congress declared Bristol the "Birthplace of County Music."

While Peer's 1927 recordings stand as a milestone in the development of country music, the musical heritage of Bristol continued after those recordings. In the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, radio programs in Bristol, most notably WCBY's Farm and Fun Time, became popular and assisted in the development of a new genre of music - bluegrass.

Today, the rich musical heritage of Bristol remains vibrant. Bristol sits in the middle of Virginia's Heritage
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Music Trail The Crooked Road, with the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance as a major venue along the trail. Dozens of musical venues in Bristol or nearby offer tradtitional Appalachian music on a regular year round basis with many of these concentrated in downtown Bristol.

The area in front of this mural has become a center for many of those community events. The stage in front of this mural plays host to a variety of weekly musical events from May through October. The area houses one of the main stages from the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion festival, held annually the third weekend of September. From April through October, a local Farmer's Market operated twice weekly. It is also a stop on the downtown audio walking tour.
For more information about our region's musical heritage, visit www.birthplaceofcountrymusic.org

Erected by Tennessee Arts Commission an the National Endowment of the Arts.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Communications • Entertainment • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1927.

Location. 36° 35.7′ N, 82° 11.218′ W. Marker is in Bristol, Tennessee, in Sullivan County. Marker is on State Street (Tennessee Route 34), on the right when traveling

Photographed By Kathy Walker, October 19, 2009

2. Historic Downtown Bristol Marker

Closeup of top of marker

east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 810 State Street, Bristol TN 37620, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Ralph S. Peer (within shouting distance of this marker); The E.W. King Building (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Evan Shelby's Fort (about 700 feet away); Isaac Shelby (1750-1826) (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bristol Tennessee Post Office & Custom House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Shelby's Fort (approx. ¼ mile away); Cathy DeCaterina (approx. ¼ mile away); Jimmie Rodgers (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bristol.

Also see . . . Birth Place of Country Music. (Submitted on January 24, 2013, by Byron Hooks of Sandy Springs, Georgia.)

Photographed By Kathy Walker, October 19, 2009

3. Historic Downtown Bristol Marker

Closeup of middle of marker

Photographed By Kathy Walker, October 19, 2009

4. Historic Downtown Bristol Marker

Closeup of bottom of marker

Picture of Mural from the Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Kathy Walker, October 19, 2009

5. Picture of Mural from the Marker

This mural, painted in 1986, depicts the key figures in the 1927 Bristol Sessions. (Left to Right) Ralph Peer; A.P., Maybelle, and Sara Carter; Ernest and Hattie Stoneman; and Jimmie Rogers.

Close up of picture from marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Kathy Walker, October 19, 2009

6. Close up of picture from marker

Closeup of photo from marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Kathy Walker, October 19, 2009

7. Closeup of photo from marker

Photographed By Kathy Walker, October 19, 2009

8. Closeup of photo from marker

Mural and Stage image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Kathy Walker, October 19, 2009

9. Mural and Stage

Mural and Stage on the side of the building to the west of the marker

Credits. This page was last revised on January 24, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 3, 2009, by Kathy Walker of Stafford, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,246 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. submitted on November 3, 2009, by Kathy Walker of Stafford, Virginia. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.