The Birthplace of Country Music Packs Films, Free Events and Farm and Fun Time into the August Schedule

BRISTOL, Tenn. – The 90th anniversary celebration of the 1927 Bristol Sessions continues throughout August as the Birthplace of Country Music presents a variety of events for all ages including two film screenings, a free Family Fun Day at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, and Radio Bristol’s Farm and Fun Time live broadcast with celebrated performers Town Mountain and Jonathan Byrd.

All events take place at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.

Born in Bristol Screenings

Aug. 4-6, 2017

Featuring Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Eric Church, Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Marty Stuart, Sheryl Crow, and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, among others, Born in Bristol is a docudrama that explores the impact of the 1927 Bristol Sessions and its lasting influence through artist interviews and visual recreations.

Born in Bristol is a companion piece to the 2015 CD release Orthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions Revisited, a reimagining of the historic 1927 Bristol Sessions by some of the biggest names in the music industry, many of whom appear in the film. Orthophonic Joy was produced by multi-Grammy Award-winner Carl Jackson and features a historical narrative by Eddie Stubbs, the voice of the Grand Ole Opry.

Filmed on location in Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia and Nashville, Born in Bristol was produced by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development with support from the Virginia Tourism Corporation and directed by Sundance Award-winner Chusy Haney-Jardine of Plan A Films. Born in Bristol received shortlist consideration at the 2016 Cannes International Festival of Creativity.

Farm and Fun Time

7 p.m. ET Aug. 10, 2017

Radio Bristol’s Farm and Fun Time hosts Town Mountain and Jonathan Byrd in the Performance Theater at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. Town Mountain captured the 2013 IBMA Momentum Awards for Performance Band and Vocalist of the Year (Robert Greer). They are currently on the road promoting their album Southern Crescent produced by the Grammy Award-winning Dirk Powell of Cypress House Studios. Jonathan Byrd is an award-winning songwriter from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, who was recently applauded by the Chicago Tribune as “one of the top 50 songwriters of the past 50 years.”

Farm and Fun Time hearkens back to the days of classic live radio and features today’s top traditional country, bluegrass and old-time artists. Hosted by Kris Truelsen and featuring house band Bill and the Belles, Farm and Fun Time is a celebration of Appalachian music and culture with various segments, live jingles and featured artists.

Radio Bristol's Farm and Fun Time is recorded before a live audience and is broadcast live and via webcast. Radio Bristol can be accessed on 100.1 FM in the Bristol area, online at ListenRadioBristol.org, and through the station's free mobile app.

Free Family Fun Day

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET Aug. 26, 2017

Explore maker activities and crafts, including a 3D printer demo presented by the Bristol Public Library, a demo of making art from “found” objects by local artisan Terry Clark, recycling crafts from the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Green Team and more. This event is free and open to the public, and includes free admission to Things Come Apart, a traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.

Note By Note: The Making of Steinway L1037 Film Screening

6 p.m. ET Aug. 31, 2017

The screening of the PBS documentary Note By Note: The Making of Steinway L1037 is companion programming designed to complement Things Come Apart, a traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.

Things Come Apart Special Exhibit

Now through Oct. 8, 2017

Through extraordinary photographs, disassembled objects and fascinating videos, the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service’s Things Come Apart exhibit reveals the inner workings of common, everyday possessions. Images of dozens of objects explore how things are designed and made and how technology has evolved over time.

Things Come Apart embraces key STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) concepts and provides an ideal environment for hands-on experimentation, tinkering, and creative makerspaces. Through support from the Smithsonian Women’s Committee, the exhibition includes three hands-on Activity Kits created by the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation’s SparkLab.

Things Come Apart is an exhibition organized by Todd McLellan and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.

About Birthplace of Country Music, Inc. 

The Birthplace of Country Music, Inc. was established to honor the famed 1927 Bristol Sessions that were immortalized when Ralph Peer – a record executive from Victor Talking Machine Company in Camden, New Jersey – traveled to Bristol, the twin cities that straddle 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, known as “The Father of Country Music,” and Ernest “Pop” Stoneman. These recordings are revered as the keystone sessions of country music. In 1998 Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia was recognized as the official birthplace of country music by the U.S. Congress; the 1927 Bristol Sessions were also recognized by the Library of Congress as one of the 50 most significant sound recording events of all time. 

In 2001, the award-winning 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. Approximately 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, a must-see stop on the Americana Music Triangle. 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 multiple theater experiences, interactive displays, and text and artifacts, 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 Birthplace of Country Music Museum. Radio Bristol features a low power FM broadcast in the Bristol area, three audio channels streaming different but related genres of music, and one channel streaming video. The streaming 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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