PLA MEDIA ADDS THE AWARD-WINNING BIRTHPLACE OF COUNTRY MUSIC TO ITS ROSTER

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – PLA Media is proud to welcome to its roster The Birthplace of Country Music, Inc., the parent organization for the award-winning Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival, and Radio Bristol.

“We are very honored to work with the BCM team as they promote, preserve and celebrate Bristol’s rich musical heritage, which is an influential piece of music history,” said Pam Lewis, President of PLA Media. “This summer, BCM will celebrate the 90th anniversary of the 1927 Bristol Sessions recordings, which included the first recordings by The Carter Family (the First Family of Country Music) and Jimmie Rodgers (the Father of Country Music). PLA is delighted to add the Birthplace of Country Music to our music tourism division clients, which currently include the Americana Music Triangle, Johnny Cash Museum, Legends of Tennessee Music Museum, Nudie’s Honky Tonk, Patsy Cline Museum, Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival, Tennessee State Museum and Tina Turner Museum.”

BCM is a non-profit organization that was established to preserve and promote the rich musical heritage of Bristol, an East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia town that spans the Tennessee and Virginia border.  BCM showcases Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia’s role in the birth and development of country music through its three branches (museum, festival, and radio), and through a multitude of community and educational outreach programs.  

“This is an exciting year for BCM, as we celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the historic 1927 Bristol Sessions,” said Leah Ross, executive director of Birthplace of Country Music. “We chose to work with PLA Media because of their in-depth knowledge of music and tourism communications, particularly with promoting museums and music festivals. PLA has key insights to reaching music media, as well as potential visitors who love music and history. Working with PLA will provide us with a unique and valuable approach to increase awareness of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival, and Radio Bristol.”

About Birthplace of Country Music, Inc.

The Birthplace of Country Music, Inc. was established to honor the famed 1927 Bristol Sessions that were immortalized in 1927 when Ralph Peer – a record executive from Victor Talking Machine Company in Camden, New Jersey – traveled to this town spanning the Tennessee and Virginia border. Setting up a portable recording studio in the Taylor-Christian Hat Company building, Peer recorded 76 songs by 19 different acts, including The Carter Family, known as “The First Family of Country Music,” Jimmie Rodgers, “The Father of Country Music,” and Ernest “Pop” Stoneman. These recording are revered as the keystone sessions of country music and were recognized by the Library of Congress as one of the 50 most significant sound recording events of all time.

In 2001, the award-winning music festival, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, began taking place in Historic Downtown Bristol. The annual three-day music festival showcases the very best in roots music—including Americana, folk-rock, bluegrass, old-time, and Piedmont blues.  Around 50,000 music enthusiasts gather for the event to see more than 130 acts perform on 20 stages each September.  In 2014, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, opened its doors in Bristol’s downtown. The museum tells the story of the 1927 Bristol Sessions recordings, explores how evolving sound technology shaped their success, and highlights how this rich musical heritage lives on in today’s music. Through text and artifacts, multiple theater experiences, and interactive displays, along with a variety of educational programs, music performances, and community events, the exciting story of these recording sessions and their far-reaching influence comes alive. In 2015, BCM began broadcasting Radio Bristol live from the Museum. Radio Bristol features a low power FM channel, three channels streaming different but related genres of music, and one channel streaming video. Stream stations can be accessed online or by using the free Radio Bristol App on mobile devices. 

For more information, visit www.birthplaceofcountrymusic.org.

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