The Birthplace of Country Music
Mention country music recording, and many people think of Nashville. But another Tennessee town, Bristol, calls itself the Birthplace of Country Music—because the first commercially successful recordings were made there in 1927. The Birthplace of Country Music Museum opened in 2014, and descendants of country's pioneers along with a new generation of artists are trying to keep Bristol's cultural and musical heritage alive.
Originally published December 3, 2014
Transcript
Emcee SOT: Please put your hands together for the Deslondes.
[BAND PLAYING MUSIC]
JESSICA TURNER, DIRECTOR AND HEAD CURATOR, BIRTHPLACE OF
COUNTRY MUSIC MUSEUM:
When people think of country music, a lot of people
naturally think of Nashville. Bristol is significant in country music because of
the early recordings in 1927. The 1927
Bristol Sessions took place in Bristol, Tennessee and were the first recordings
of the Carter Family, first recording of Jimmy Rogers and some very influential
music that over time have influenced artists all around.
[“BURY ME ON THE WEEPING WILLOW” PLAYING]
This is the beginning of the commercial country music
recording industry. Companies were
starting to get into this market because they were so successful.
ROY ANDRADE, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR – DEPARTMENT OF APPALACIAN
STUDIES, EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY:
What made the Bristol
Sessions unique and what made them possible
was mobile technology. Recording
engineers could bring their gear with them in the trunk of their car and they
could set up. And they had the new
electronic microphone.
JESSICA TURNER, DIRECTOR AND HEAD CURATOR, BIRTHPLACE OF
COUNTRY MUSIC MUSEUM:
As recording equipment gets smaller, there is the ability
then to go out into the those areas where the musician actually are from in
order to get new material.
What this region has musically is a fusion of English
ballads, and West European fiddling, and African-American spirituals and some
Native American influence at the time that creates this Appalachian sound. So the Bristol Sessions are this unique mix
of this region.
What comes out of the Bristol Sessions that were very
successful immediately were the recordings by the Carter Family.
[BAND PLAYING MUSIC]
RITA FORRESTER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE CARTER FAMILY FOLD
By participating in the Bristol Sessions in 1927, my grandparents
changed the face of music along with my great aunt Maybelle. If you listen to Carter Family music, the
songs that they did were all about family, they loved the mountains, they
worshiped together. All of this is about
their music and their lives.
The Carter Family Fold is small non-profit arts
organization. We have weekly music
shows, Bluegrass and Old-Time Music every Saturday. In mountain culture, the tradition wass to
gather at someone’s house and have music.
They would play music. The would roll
back the rugs and dance. So she decided that
on Saturdays what better thing to do than act like you were in your living room
having a normal Saturday get-together and invite whoever wants to come.
ROY ANDRADE, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR – DEPARTMENT OF APPALACIAN
STUDIES, EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY:
A lot of people who are participating in Old-Time Music
today play the music as a way to connect with something older, maybe something
even timeless. I still feel like I can
sing these songs in a valid way even though it is not my experience. You know, what is happening in Bristol is
Americana music . It’s very broad and it
is rooted in the Bristol Sessions and what was happening.
SAM DOORES, THE DESLONDES, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA:
I mean, I love all the Carter Family stuff. I love the Jimmy Rogers stuff. There’s a bunch of bands that are keeping
that tradition alive. That kind of music is undeniable and people love it. Even though it is almost a hundred years old
now, there’s always going to be musicians that are playing it, and people who
enjoy listening and dancing to it.
Playing here is a trip.
It’s like a full circle. You’re a
kid reading a book about Bristol and Jimmy Rogers and Carter Family. And all of a sudden you are on stage playing
to the local people in Bristol. It feels
wonderful.
RITA FORRESTER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE CARTER FAMILY FOLD
It’s wonderful to see that it still resonates and still has
meaning, and that the people-the young people of today can take the music and
make it their own. And it still has that
same message and resonance.