Happy Monday everyone! I’m enjoying my day at home since the clinic is closed in observance of MLK Day. I hope you’re all staying warm and getting your Vitamin C. Our area of Tennessee has been frigidly cold this month but that doesn’t mean your only choice is to stay inside. Not that I have anything against snuggling up under a fuzzy blanket in my favorite sweatpants. That’s what we did all weekend until we decided we should take showers and rejoin humanity. We ended up at The Birthplace of Country Music Museum in downtown Bristol and learned a lot about this city’s heritage.
Upon our arrival to the museum there was a documentary playing called “Bristol Bound” narrated by John Carter Cash. I highly recommend watching it because “Bristol Bound” was incredibly informative in regards to Bristol’s country music history. The documentary tells the story of the industry changing “Bristol Sessions” lead by music producer Ralph Peer. In 1927 Peer came to Bristol in search of new musical acts. Out of the 19 different acts Peer recorded during the “Bristol Sessions”, the most influential were Ernest V. Stoneman, The Carter Family (ancestors of June Carter Cash), and Jimmie Rodgers who was later called “The Father of Country Music”.
I know most people think of Nashville when they think of country music. I admit when we first moved here I had no idea about Bristol’s history. Even though Nashville is known as the “Music City”, Bristol is considered the “Birthplace of Country Music” because of the “Bristol Sessions”. The number of performers who were influenced by Jimmie Rodgers is astounding. The most notable for me was Bob Dylan.
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is a Smithsonian Affiliate and adult admission is only $13. This is the perfect place to spend a freezing winter day in Bristol especially if you’re like me and you weren’t aware of how the city got its nickname. If you’re still not sold on visiting I’m going to leave you with a quote from Johnny Cash, “These recordings in Bristol in 1927 are the single most important event in the history of country music.”
Until next time,
Carly