Music of Tennessee - Bristol: "Birthplace of Country Music"

Bristol: "Birthplace of Country Music"

See also: Appalachian music

Bristol is best known for being the site of the first commercial recordings of country music, showcasing Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family, and later a favorite venue of mountain musician Uncle Charlie Osborne. Bristol is also the birthplace of Tennessee Ernie Ford.

In 1927, Ralph Peer of Victor Records began recording local musicians in Bristol to capture the local sound of traditional 'folk' music of the region. One of these local sounds was created by the Carter Family. The Carter Family got their start on July 31, 1927, when A.P. Carter and his family journeyed from Maces Spring, Virginia, to Bristol, Tennessee, to audition for record producer Ralph Peer who was seeking new talent for the relatively embryonic recording industry. They received $50 for each song they recorded.

The U.S. Congress recognized Bristol as the "Birthplace of Country Music" in 1998 for its contributions to early country music recordings and ongoing influence.

Read more about this topic:  Music Of Tennessee

Famous quotes containing the words birthplace, country and/or music:

    The settlement of America had its origins in the unsettlement of Europe. America came into existence when the European was already so distant from the ancient ideas and ways of his birthplace that the whole span of the Atlantic did not widen the gulf.
    Lewis Mumford (1895–1990)

    We’ve had enough of this Wichita. We’re going to a brand-new, two-fisted, rip- snorting country full of Indians, rattlesnakes, gun-toters and desperadoes. Whoopee!
    Howard Estabrook (1884–1978)

    My love shall hear the music of my hounds.
    William Shakespeare (1564–1616)