Director of Communications
amanda.murphy@tn.gov
615-741-9010
Senior Communications Manager
jill.kilgore@tn.gov
615-927-1320
Communications Manager
Alli.Lapps@tn.gov
BRISTOL, TN/VA – In anticipation of the Bristol's Rhythm & Roots Reunion lineup announcement May 4, the Birthplace of Country Music highlights old-time music in May with two feature performances and their special exhibition, “Hometown Stars: Southwest Virginia’s Recording Legacy, 1923–1943.”
These events spotlight a landmark calendar year for the Birthplace of Country Music, the parent organization of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival, and Radio Bristol, as they celebrate the 90th anniversary of the 1927 Bristol Sessions.
Tennessee native Ed Snodderly performs exclusive new music for both a studio audience and listeners Friday, May 5 via ListenRadioBristol.org as part of Radio Bristol’s Premieres concert series, which focuses on new recordings and projects from nationally-recognized artists debuted in the Performance Theater at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. Ed Snodderly is proof that Southern music, with all its old peculiarities, is alive and kicking. Several of his songs have been recorded by musicians such as Sam Bush, Missy Raines, Jerry Douglas, and John Cowan.
Farm and Fun Time, a revival of WCYB’s radio show from the 1940s and 1950s, airs live May 11 at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum before a studio audience with guest performances by The Piedmont Melody Makers with Alice Gerrard and The Down Hill Strugglers. Hosted by Kris Truelsen, the program also features fun musical segues by house band Bill and the Belles, and more. The Down Hill Strugglers recently released an album on Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and are featured on the soundtrack to the Coen Brothers film Inside Llewyn Davis produced by T-Bone Burnett.
Through June 4, the museum features “Hometown Stars: Southwest Virginia’s Recording Legacy, 1923–1943,” an exhibit from the Blue Ridge Institute & Museum at Ferrum College. This exhibit shares the stories of Southwest Virginia musicians, including the Powers Family, Dock Boggs, Carl Martin, The Roanoke Jug Band, Jack Reedy & His Walker Mountain Stringband, and several Bristol Sessions artists through text, photographs and artifacts.
For more information, visit www.birthplaceofcountrymusic.org.
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Director of Communications
amanda.murphy@tn.gov
615-741-9010
Senior Communications Manager
jill.kilgore@tn.gov
615-927-1320
Communications Manager
Alli.Lapps@tn.gov