The Birthplace of Country Music

Pat "Mother Blues" Cohen in Concert - POSTPONED, NEW DATE TBD
2021-09-25 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum proudly presents Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen in Concert.
This show has been postponed. New date to be announced soon!
Date: Saturday, September 25, 2021

Time: 7:00 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Tickets: $20 (concert only), $25 (concert + curator-led tour of Our Living Past: Platinum Portraits of Southern Music Makers special exhibit); plus Bristol, VA admission tax/fees for both
PURCHASE TICKETS
Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen’s powerful voice, humor and deep blues bring the audience to their feet. Featured in the Our Living Past special exhibit, Pat’s vibrancy and love for the music jumps out of her portrait, and we are excited to have that coming to our Performance Theater stage on Saturday, September 25, 7:00pm!
Tickets are available as concert-only or concert + exhibit tour. Attendees who purchase the latter will explore the Our Living Past special exhibit with our Head Curator before the performance. The tour will start at 6:00pm, and doors open for the concert at 6:30pm.

Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen
Since the age of six, Pat was surrounded by music. Her blues classroom was on the porch of her uncle’s house where one played the guitar and the other played the harmonica. Her first professional engagement came in the early 1980s when she was asked to perform at a local club where she was attending college.
“I had three days to find three musicians and put together 30 songs,” she said. “They loved me- the rest is history because I’ve been singing the Blues ever since.”
For years, Pat sang in New Orleans six nights a week, performing at a wide array of venues including the House of Blues, until Katrina destroyed her home. She relocated to North Carolina and has recently started touring with the Music Maker Blues Revue. During her performances, “Mother Blues” unfurls the tapestry of her life experiences to her audience in soulful words and music. She shares the mettle, pathos and ocean-deep compassion of the famous female blues singers she idolizes- women like Billie Holiday, Koko Taylor and Etta James.
Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen is a dramatic and exotic performer whose talent should not be overlooked.
Article about Pat from Rolling Stone, April 22, 2020: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/blues-singer-seniors-socially-distanced-performances-987393/

Virtual Speaker Series - Spookers and Haints: Affrilachian Storytelling
2021-10-05 19:00 - 20:30
Date: Tuesday, October 5, 2021
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Location: Via Zoom
Tickets: Free event!
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Join us Tuesday, October 5, 7:00pm for our next Virtual Speaker Series, a chance to get spooky with Affrilachian storyteller Lyn Ford! Lyn will explore the importance of Affilachian storytelling within Appalachia communities and her own family, talk about the power of telling stories about “spookers and haints” and some of their origins and history, and share a tale or two with the audience to get us in the mood for the month of Halloween!
About Lyn Ford
Affrilachian storyteller Lyn Ford has been called one of the top 20 ghost story-tellers in the country. Lyn’s favorites: silly stories for kids, creepy tales for teens through adults, and original stories for everybody. She has appeared at numerous storytelling festivals, including Jonesborough’s National Storytelling Festival, and has written several books, including Affrilachian Tales, Beyond the Briar Patch, and Hot Wind, Boiling Rain. Lyn is also an Ohio teaching artist, author, laughter yoga teacher, and great-grandmother. You can learn more about Lyn’s work at her website here.

Special Exhibit: Houses of the Lord
2021-10-08 - 2021-10-15 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
In 2019, photographer Amy Shumaker began to document the aesthetic and geographical landscape of churches throughout East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. This exhibition details the many architectural and theological styles of the Appalachian Christian subculture. Her photography show will be on display in the museum’s Special Exhibit Gallery from October 8 to October 15.
Artist Amy Shumaker will be on-site on Saturday, October 9 and Sunday, October 10 to engage with visitors about her work. This event is open to the public.
Admission to “Houses of the Lord” is free and open to the public; regular admission costs apply to visitors who would like to visit the rest of the museum. Please respect current COVID-19 guidelines for the museum.
Museum hours are as follows:

Monday, closed
Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-6pm
Sunday, 1-5pm

This exhibit is presented by AS Photo and Design.

Special Exhibit: The Way We Worked
2021-10-30 - 2022-01-23 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Dates: October 30, 2021 – January 23, 2022
Location: Special Exhibits Gallery, Birthplace of Country Music Museum
The Way We Worked explores how work became such a central element in American culture by tracing the many changes that affected the workforce and work environments over the past 150 years. The diversity of the American workforce is one of its strengths, providing an opportunity to explore how people of all races and ethnicities identified commonalities and worked to knock down barriers in the professional world. The exhibition shows how we identify with work – as individuals and as communities.
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum (an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution) has created a supplementary display related to work in Bristol and the Tri-Cities region from major manufacturing and resource extraction (e.g. coal, timber) to retail, food services, farming, local industry, and the local newspaper. Special thanks to several organizations, businesses, and individuals who loaned images and object for this display, including the Archives of the City of Kingsport, Black in Appalachia, Bristol Herald Courier, Bristol Historical Association, Buchanan County Historical Society, Tim Buchanan, Eastman, Helms Candy Company, Ruth King, Jack Pierce, Tom Rogers, and Strongwell.
The Way We Worked presents a wonderful educational opportunity for local and regional schools, ties in well to state standards and curricula through engaging content. Teachers can contact Erika Barker at ebarker@birtplaceofcountrymusic.org to find more about booking in-person and virtual tours of this exhibit. Teachers may also attend a FREE introduction to The Way We Worked on Monday, November 1, 2021, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., a great opportunity to explore the exhibit, talk to the curatorial team about bringing students to visit, engage with some of the exhibit’s educational resources, and interact with other educators – snacks will also be provided! Please register to attend this free teacher event HERE.
Public programming will be scheduled to go along with this exhibit – you can find out more on our Events pages.
There are also a variety of educational resources related to the exhibit, including:
The Way We Worked Elementary and Middle School Lesson Plans
The Way We Worked High School Lesson Plans
The Way We Worked Educator’s Manual
The Way We Worked Children’s Reading List (books from this reading list will be on display and available to check out from the Bristol Public Library)
The Way We Worked Young Adult Reading List (books from this reading list will be on display and available to check out from the Bristol Public Library)
The Way We Worked Adult Reading List (books from this reading list will be on display and available to check out from the Bristol Public Library)
The Way We Worked, an exhibition created by the National Archives, is adapted for travel by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and made possible with the generous support of the United States Congress.
Special thanks to the Massengill-DeFriece Foundation for their support of the exhibit at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.

Community Day
2021-10-30 10:00 - 18:00
Date: Saturday, October 30, 2021
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Join us on Saturday, October 30, 10:00am-6:00pm for the museum’s Community Day when we will be offering free admission all day long. Visitors can explore the museum’s permanent exhibits, check out The Way We Worked, the new special exhibit from the Smithsonian, and take home some fun family-friendly goodies including a banjo craft kit and coloring/activity sheets. The museum will also be playing spooky storyteller tales on loop in the Performance Theater throughout the day.
This is a great opportunity to have a fun day out with family and friends. Be sure to check out other cool events in Historic Downtown Bristol on October 30:

Pumpkin Palooza, Downtown Center (800 State Street), 9:00am-12:00pm
Downtown Trick-or-Treating, State Street, 10:00am-12:00pm
Dedication ceremony for historical markers to Charles Spurgeon Johnson and the Reverend Charles Henry Johnson (Lee Street Baptist Church), Cumberland Square Park, 2:00pm

Virtual Speaker Series: Jennifer Licko on Appalachia and Scottish Folk Songs
2021-11-09 19:00 - 20:30
Date: Tuesday, November 9, 7:00pm
Cost: Free and open to the public, but must pre-register for Zoom link
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Virtual Speaker Series: Jennifer Licko on Appalachia and Scottish Folk Songs
Join us on Tuesday, November 9, 7:00pm for our next Virtual Speaker Series with musician and historian Jennifer Licko. Scottish settlers established themselves in the Appalachian region of several states, including North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia. In these isolated areas, the old songs of love, loss, murder, ghosts, and earlier times were passed down by oral tradition, expressing timeless themes and ties to the past. Over time the melodies and words changed creating variations that are still sung today. Licko, a North Carolina native, will be sharing her observations on variants and versions of Scottish folk songs that exist in Appalachia.
About Jennifer Licko
Awarded “Celtic Album of the Year” by Celtic Music Radio and nomination for “Trad Album of the Year” by TradConnect, Jennifer Licko has a strong relationship with the music that traveled over with the Scottish settlers.
Spending her youth as a competitive Scottish Highland Dancer encouraged her interest and love for the Scottish traditions. Jennifer is an exceptional vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who plays the piano, guitar, and bodhrán (Irish drum). After living almost a decade in Scotland and Ireland, Jennifer realized the strong similarities between Scotland and North Carolina…and her music began to branch out into a genre that honors those connections.
“I believe that the music needs to connect with the audience through our shared emotions and experiences for us all to feel that which can only be experienced through music.”
Jennifer works as a performer, educator, and advocate for cultural inclusion in education. She founded and operates the non-profit Highland Echoes carrying out three large-scale projects to support the mission of cultivating awareness and preservation of Scottish culture, she runs The Cultural Classroom providing resources and support for teachers, and she has her own podcast called Respecting Diversity in the Class.
Jennifer is currently living in Brazil as an ex-pat, raising two trilingual and extremely energetic boys, and a very sweet white lab named Bailey. In her free time, she enjoys running and being by the ocean in any capacity. Probably not important to a professional bio, but Jennifer’s favorite color is aqua, her favorite food is mint chocolate chip Ice cream (yep, that’s real food), and her Starbucks choice is a grande Americano.
For more information about Jennifer’s music and work, check out her website.

Black Friday, Holiday Open House & More!
2021-11-26 - 2021-11-30
Dates: Friday, November 26-30, 2021
November 26: #Black Friday
Weekend passes to Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion 2022 go on sale for $90 – the deepest discount you’ll see all year! Purchase before midnight on December 12, 2021 for delivery just in time for Christmas!
November 27: #SmallBusinessSaturday
#ShopSmall to support locally-owned small businesses in your community!
November 28: Birthplace of Country Music Museum Open House
#MuseumStoreSunday & #ArtistsSunday
Join us at the museum for a special Holiday Open House as we celebrate the holidays with live music from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET, door prizes, a 20% discount in The Museum Store off one item, and light refreshments!
Be sure and peruse our vast collection of unique gifts in The Museum Store including exclusive Birthplace of Country Music merchandise and items created by local artisans. From handmade bath and body items and candles to one-of-a-kind pottery and jewelry, shop local and support their small businesses!
November 29: #CyberMonday
Instead of shopping national chains, support local online businesses, including The Museum Store!
November 30: #GivingTuesday
Click here to make a one-time donation to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum or ask how you can become a member of our 1927 Society!

Virtual Speaker Series: Birthplace of Country Music Museum Curatorial Team on Music and Work
2021-12-07 19:00 - 20:30 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Date: Tuesday, December 7, 7:00pm
Cost: Free and open to the public, but must pre-register for Zoom link
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Virtual Speaker Series: BCMM Curatorial Team on the Connections Between Work and Music
Join us on Tuesday, December 7, 7:00pm for our next Virtual Speaker Series with the Birthplace of Country Music Museum curatorial team. This talk will go along with our current special exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, The Way We Worked, which is on display at the museum through January 23. René Rodgers (Head Curator), Erika Barker (Curatorial Manager), and Scotty Almany (Digital Media, Programming & Exhibit Logistics Manager) will discuss how music is interwoven throughout the history of America’s workforce culture.
Proletariat anthems, union movement songs, stories of hard labor and tragedy, and how music influences workflow and productivity will be thoughtfully examined and presented by our staff. We look forward to sharing this exploration of music and work with our virtual audience!
About The Way We Worked
The Way We Worked explores how work became such a central element in American culture by tracing the many changes that affected the workforce and work environments over the past 150 years. The diversity of the American workforce is one of its strengths, providing an opportunity to explore how people of all races and ethnicities identified commonalities and worked to knock down barriers in the professional world. The exhibition shows how we identify with work – as individuals and as communities.
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum (an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution) has created a supplementary display related to work in Bristol and the surrounding region from major manufacturing and resource extraction (e.g. coal, timber) to retail, food services, farming, local industry, and the local newspaper.
About the BCMM Curatorial Team
Scotty Almany is the Digital Media, Programming & Exhibit Logistics Manager at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. He received his Master’s in Museum Studies from John Hopkins University, and he has worked at the museum since it opened in 2014. He is a musician, a Radio Bristol DJ, and a hockey fanatic. Erika Barker is the Curatorial Manager at the museum. She did a Master’s in Historical Administration from Eastern Illinois University, and she has been at the museum since 2017. Erika is learning Korean, loves to read, and plays Dungeons & Dragons. Dr. René Rodgers is the Head Curator at the museum. She did her Master’s and Ph.D. work at Durham University in the UK, and she joined the museum team before it opened as a member of the exhibit content development team. She loves to read, hike with her dog Pippa out in nature, and get creative with her bullet journal.

Farm and Fun Time
2021-12-09 19:00 - 21:00
Date: Thursday, December 9, 2021
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET (Audience is asked to be seated by 6:55 p.m.)
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Tickets: $35
BUY TICKETS
**COVID-19 Policy
Most performers whose livelihoods depend on not contracting Covid-19 will currently not perform indoors, at least not in small venues where the audience is close. Since we want to continue to have Farm and Fun Time in the intimate confines of the Museum Performance Theater for recording for PBS telecast, audience members, staff, musicians, and artists in attendance will be required to show proof of vaccination or proof of negative COVID-19 test result taken within 72 hours” for entry.
Hosted by Kris Truelsen and his house band Bill and the Belles, Farm and Fun Time is a celebration of Appalachian music and culture with various segments, original jingles, and featured artists and an homage to the classic program of the same name that aired on WCYB radio in the 1940s and 1950s.
Farm and Fun Time broadcasts live from the Performance Theater at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum before a studio audience and can be accessed in its entirety on WBCM Radio Bristol’s Facebook page live. You may also tune in to the program on the air at 100.1 FM in the Bristol area or online at ListenRadioBristol.org.
About Tim O’Brien Band
The Tim O’Brien Band is just as versatile as its leader’s music is diverse. With a large repertoire that ranges from traditional bluegrass grooves through contemporary singer songwriter styles, this Nashville based, five-piece acoustic string band makes it all shine. Long time session and touring stalwarts Mike Bub (bass) and Shad Cobb (fiddle) join mandolinist and singer Jan Fabricius and new member Gaven Largent (dobro and banjo) to provide backing to O’Brien’s vocal, guitar and fiddle.
Born in 1954 in Wheeling WV, O’Brien came on the bluegrass scene with Colorado’s Hot Rize starting in 1978. The singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has won Folk and Bluegrass Grammys, and his songs have been covered by New Grass Revival, Kathy Mattea and Garth Brooks. After moving to Nashville in 1996, O’Brien found plenty of work as a studio sideman for folks like Steve Earle, Mark Knopfler and Sturgill Simpson. The International Bluegrass Music Association has twice awarded him with Song of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year prizes.
Bassist Mike Bub, originally from California, is a bluegrass standby, having toured the world with the Del McCoury Band and others. Fiddler Shad Cobb, from Wisconsin, grew up in a musical family and is known for his uniquely improvisational style. Originally from western Kansas, Jan Fabricius plays mandolin and adds beautiful harmony to O’Brien’s lead vocals. Virginian Gaven Largent brings classic dobro and banjo sounds to the band.
The band’s songbook draws from recent Tim O’Brien releases like 2021’s “He Walked On”, but also includes songs from earlier CD’s like the Celtic tinged “The Crossing” and the Dylan covers of “Red On Blonde”, with an occasional Hot Rize song thrown in for good measure.
For more information about the Tim O’Brien Band, visit TimObrien.net.
About The Slocan Ramblers
The Slocan Ramblers (2020 IBMA Momentum Band of the Year Award Winner & 2019 Juno Award Nominee) are Canada’s bluegrass band to watch. Rooted in tradition, fearlessly creative and possessing a bold, dynamic sound, The Slocans have become a leading light of today’s acoustic music scene. With a reputation for energetic live shows, impeccable musicianship and an uncanny ability to convert anyone within earshot into a lifelong fan, The Slocans have been winning over audiences from Merlefest to RockyGrass and everywhere in between.
On their much-anticipated album Queen City Jubilee (2019 Juno Award Nominee for Traditional Roots Album of the Year), The Slocans showcase their unique blend of bluegrass, old-time and folk with deep song-writing, lightning fast instrumentals and sawdust-thick vocals. With their trademark raucous energy, this album presents The Slocan Ramblers at the top of their game – writing and playing tunes to keep you up all night. This is roots music without pretension, music to make you feel something – say hello to your new favourite band.
For more information about The Slocan Ramblers, visit SlocanRamblers.com.

Speaker Series (Hybrid): Art as Work with AAME
2022-01-11 19:00 - 20:30 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Date: Tuesday, January 11, 7:00pm
Cost: Free and open to the public
Virtual: Click here to register
In-person: Click here to RSVP
On Tuesday, January 11, 2022 at 7:00 PM, we are kicking off another year of the museum’s Speaker Series by partnering with the Arts Alliance Mountain Empire (AAME) for our first hybrid virtual and in-person event! A panel of local artists will discuss what it is like to work in the arts field and how their work is represented in art. Artists on the panel are active in the Tri-Cities region and include Leigh Ann Agee (author and visual artist), Cherylonda Fitzgerald (cellist and music teacher), Richard Graves (visual artist), Val Lyle (sculptor and public artist), and Eugene Wolf (actor and singer). All of our panelists have made art their work in multiple ways, and their versatility and business acumen has augmented their ability to bring their creative vision to the world. This program will give local artists the opportunity to help us understand how they work at the intersection of imaginative freedom and pragmatic demand – how they create art that will provide an income.
This program ties into the Smithsonian exhibit The Way We Worked, currently on display at the museum through January 23, 2022. Interested in-person attendees can participate in a curator-guided tour of the exhibit after the program.
The virtual program will stream live via Zoom, and the in-person program will be held in the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s Performance Theater.
**COVID-19 Policy
In-person audience members, staff, and artists will be required to wear face coverings and show proof of vaccination or proof of negative COVID-19 test result taken within 72 hours for entry to the program in the museum’s Performance Theater.
About the Panel
Richard Graves (richardgravesart.com) is a visual artist who works in portraiture, figure drawing, and the surreal. Richard is an AAME board member and will be moderating the Virtual Speaker Series panel discussion. His work can be found in The Museum Store.
Artist Leigh Ann Agee (leighannagee.com) began painting as a hobby, but in time found that this was her calling and made art her work. She paints custom murals and is the creator of Moon Bound Girl, “a brand that inspires girls and women everywhere to dream big and pursue their passions.” Leigh Ann’s work can be found in The Museum Store.
Cellist Cherylonda Fitzgerald (cherylonda.com) both performs and teaches her instrument. She is principal cellist with the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra and performs with the Symphony of the Mountains and the Paramount Players, among others. Cherylonda teaches privately in the “Cello Underground” in her home, as well as at Milligan College.
Sculptor Val Lyle (artnowllc.com) creates public art, and her local pieces include the interactive “Take the Stage” outside the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, “Caterpillar Crawl” in downtown Bristol, “The Sentinel” and “The Spirit of Generosity” in Kingsport, and the “ASPIRE” mobile and “Forward Rhythms” at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center.
Actor and musician Eugene Wolf has appeared on the Barter Theatre stage many times, played with the Brother Boys along with Ed Snodderly, and most recently brought his own childhood to the stage in his one-man show “The Book of Mamaw,” which has been staged at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. Among his recordings is a collaboration with Russian folk musician Mitya Kuznetsov.

Museum Volunteer Training
2022-01-31 14:00 - 17:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
We want YOU to join our wonderful team of volunteers at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum!
Date: Monday, January 31, 2022
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Learning Center
If you have a passion for Bristol and its musical legacy and love helping others, our museum volunteer program is the perfect fit for you!
Museum volunteers play a vital role in a number of key areas behind the scenes and on the front lines, such as working as a gallery assistant, helping out in The Museum Store, working with the public at events and programs, and so much more! Our Museum Volunteer Training session gets you acquainted with every aspect of the museum to help you find your area of interest. Volunteer schedules are flexible and fun!
If you are interested in coming to our Museum Volunteer Training, email Erika at volunteercoordinator@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org.

Speaker Series: Histories of Black Life and Music in Appalachia
2022-02-08 19:00 - 20:30 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Date: Tuesday, February 8, 2022
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Cost: Free and open to the public
Virtual: Click here to register for Zoom link
* PLEASE NOTE: THIS EVENT IS NOW ONLY VIRTUAL. IF YOU WERE PLANNING TO ATTEND IN-PERSON, BE SURE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ZOOM LINK TO ATTEND VIRTUALLY INSTEAD!
Join us on Tuesday, February 8, at 7:00 p.m. for our next Speaker Series program. Dr. William H. Turner will partner with Dr. Ted Olson for discussions on music, including the Sepia Tones podcast, and Turner’s book The Harlan Renaissance: Stories of Black Life In Appalachian Coal Towns. Through sharing their unique knowledge and perspectives on the Black experience in Appalachia, Drs. Turner and Olson will take the audience beyond the assumptions and stereotypes about this region for a deeper and richer understanding of its history.
The virtual program will stream live via Zoom. It is free and open to the public, but you do need to register for the Zoom link.
About Dr. William H. Turner
Dr. William H. Turner, the fifth of ten children, was born in 1946 in the coal town of Lynch, Kentucky, in Harlan County. His grandfathers, father, four uncles, and older brother were coal miners.
Bill has spent his professional career studying and working on behalf of marginalized communities, helping them create opportunities in the larger world while not abandoning their important cultural ties. He is best-known for his ground-breaking research on African-American communities in Appalachia, but Bill’s work is universal. As an academic and a consultant, he has studied economic systems and social structures in the urban South and burgeoning Latino communities in the Southwest. What he strives for on behalf of his clients and their communities is what we all want: prosperity, understanding, and respect.
Today, Bill and his wife Vivian – the retired President of the R.J. Reynolds Foundation in Winston-Salem, N.C. – live near their children and grandchildren in Houston.
About Dr. Ted Olson
Ted Olson is presently serving as co-host (with Dr. William Turner) of the podcast Sepia Tones: Exploring Black Appalachian Music​. Presently Full Professor of Appalachian Studies at East Tennessee State University, Olson served in 2008 as Fulbright Senior Scholar in American Studies in Barcelona, Spain. He is the author of many articles, essays, encyclopedia entries, poems, and reviews published in a range of books and periodicals. From 2003-2005 he was president of the Tennessee Folklore Society, and from 2009-2013 he was the editor of the Journal of Appalachian Studies. Olson has produced many documentary albums of Appalachian music ,and for his work as a music historian, he has received an International Bluegrass Music Association Award, three Independent Music Awards, the Ramsey Award for Lifetime Achievement from the East Tennessee Historical Society, and seven Grammy Award nominations.

Speaker Series: Scott Paulson on the Kazoo's Place in History and Music
2022-03-08 19:00 - 20:30
Date: Tuesday, March 8, 2022
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Cost: Free and open to the public, but you must register for the Zoom link to attend
Virtual: Click here to register for Zoom link
Join us on Tuesday, March 8 at 7:00 p.m. for our next monthly Speaker Series. Scott Paulson, Exhibits & Events Coordinator at the UC San Diego library, has used some serious library research tools to gather some surprising kazoo trivia (and not all of it is trivial) – and he’s ready to share it with us.
More than an annoying party favor, the kazoo is an effective tool used by some speech therapists and has serious roots in African
masked ceremonies. From Americana kitsch to recent finds at Central American archaeological excavations, lots of kazoo surprises are in store at this upcoming virtual lecture.
Of note: the Birthplace of Country Music Museum has a historic kazoo connection that will be celebrated.
Also: we’ll survey “the greatest kazoo solos that somehow you forgot all about”!
And YES: some brief kazoo premieres will be featured.
About Scott Paulson
Scott Paulson has spent more than four decades at UC San Diego, first as a student studying music and linguistics, and today as the Exhibits & Events Coordinator for the campus’s iconic Geisel Library. Scott has been part of the library’s special events around National Kazoo Day for the past few years. Starting off from a challenge to use “serious library tools to investigate a light, playful topic,” the Library’s “kazoo salute” has included exhibits, live kazoo performances, and the commissioning of original kazoo music. He also contributed his expertise and several photographs for our blog post “Instrument Interview: The Kazoo.”

Suzanne Stryk: The Middle of Somewhere Book Release and Talk
2022-03-31 19:00 - 21:00
Date: Thursday, March 31, 2022
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Tickets: Free event
“There’s no such thing as the middle of nowhere. Every place is the middle of somewhere for some living being.” That was Suzanne Stryk’s mantra as she traveled her home state exploring its natural ecology and cultural life from an artist’s perspective.
For this launch event for Stryk’s new book The Middle of Somewhere: An Artist Explores the Nature of Virginia, she’ll project artwork as she shares stories from her journeys – from sketching a kestrel at a Shenandoah Valley farm to picking carrots in Monticello’s famous garden to searching for salamanders under logs at Grayson Highlands State Park. This program is a part of the Arts Alliance Mountain Empire‘s (AAME) Speaker Series. Stryk will be selling signed copies of her book following the talk (cash only).
Suzanne Stryk is an artist who finds equal fascination in the natural world and the visual arts. Her conceptual nature paintings and assemblages have appeared in solo exhibitions throughout the United States, and her portfolios and related writings have been featured in Terrain.org, Orion, Ecotone, and the Kenyon Review. She is the recipient of a George Sugarman Foundation grant and a Virginia Commission for the Arts fellowship for the project Notes on the State of Virginia, the precursor to The Middle of Somewhere. She is a resident of Southwest Virginia.
For more about the author, visit Trinity University Press at tupress.org or suzannestryk.com

Speaker Series (Hybrid): Songwriting and Sourcing Inspiration with Ed Snodderly
2022-04-12 19:00 - 20:30 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Date: Tuesday, April 12, 7:00pm
Cost: Free and open to the public
Virtual: Click here to register
In-person: Click here to RSVP
On Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at 7:00 PM, we are hosting our second hybrid virtual and in-person Speaker Series event. East Tennessee native and renowned songwriter Ed Snodderly will be at the museum (and on Zoom) to talk about his musical journey, the craft of songwriting, the inspiration behind his music, and how to tap into creativity.
Ed Snodderly is a well-known educator, performer, songwriter, actor, and co-owner of one of the longest running music venues in the country, The Down Home in Johnson City, Tennessee. The Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville honored him by inscribing a verse of his song, “The Diamond Stream,” upon the wall in their Hall of Honor. He also passes on his knowledge and experience through a songwriting course at East Tennessee State University.
Ed uses images from the old and odd Appalachian world and combines them with his own musical backbone to create inspired, original, and beautiful songs. The songs are original, yet familiar. His guitar playing holds those ancestral rhythms. He makes primitive banjo and drums sound like the most obvious combination in the world. Whatever you want to call him—Alt-Country Singer? Old-Time Musician? Folkie?—Ed Snodderly is proof that Southern music, with all its old peculiarities, is alive and kicking.
**COVID-19 Policy
In-person audience members, staff, and volunteers will be required to wear face coverings and show proof of vaccination or proof of negative COVID-19 test result taken within 72 hours for entry to the program in the museum’s Performance Theater.

Speaker Series (Hybrid): With Kelle Jolly, The Tennessee Ukulele Lady
2022-05-10 19:00 - 20:30
Date: Tuesday, May 10, 7:00pm

Cost: Free and open to the public
Virtual: Click here to register
In-person: Click here to register
On Tuesday, May 10 at 7:00 PM, we are continuing our hybrid Speaker Series with Tennessee native and skilled music educator Kelle Jolly. She will join us at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and Zoom to share musical stories and songs from the Appalachian South and explore the connections between music and storytelling.
Kelle Jolly, “The Tennessee Ukulele Lady,” is an accomplished music entertainer and educator. Her repertoire includes traditional African American music of blues, jazz, spirituals, and folk. Jolly is a graduate of South Carolina State University, where she studied Music Education with Concentrations in Voice. She is also the 2011 Mountain Soul Vocal competition winner and the Knoxville Community Shares 2013 Artist of the Year. Jolly hosts Jazz Jam, Knoxville’s only vocal jazz radio show, on WUOT 91.9FM. She is the founder of the Women in Jazz Jam Festival and Ukesphere of Knoxville. Kelle and her saxophonist husband, Will Boyd, have served as ambassadors of jazz from Tennessee to Japan, and they are Knoxville MLK Commission Artist Award recipients. In 2021, the City of Knoxville proclaimed July 21st, “Kelle Jolly and Will Boyd” Day. Jolly is currently a graduate student in the Communication and Storytelling Studies program at East Tennessee State University, pursuing her Master of Arts degree.
The event is FREE, but if you are joining us in person then you must RSVP. Those who wish to join the event online must pre-register to get the Zoom link.
**COVID-19 Policy
In-person audience members, staff, and volunteers will be required to show proof of vaccination or proof of negative COVID-19 test result taken within 72 hours for entry to the program in the museum’s Performance Theater.

1927 Society Concert Series
2022-05-20 18:00 - 20:45
The Birthplace of Country Music proudly presents the intimate 1927 Society Concert Series experience featuring live music by Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters.
Date: Friday, May 20, 2022
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m. EDT
Location: Performance Theater, Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Tickets: $100
BUY TICKETS
The 1927 Society Concert Series is an intimate concert experience set in the “acoustically perfect” Performance Theater at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. It’s more than a night of music, it’s a very personal event with some of the most renowned roots music artists performing today. Guests are asked to arrive promptly at 6:00 p.m. to enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres by Catering by Catherine and an open bar (ages 21+ with valid ID) before the show, food and drinks included with ticket. Post-performance, guests will have the opportunity to mingle with the artist(s) after the show.
Members of the Birthplace of Country Music’s 1927 Society are given access to exclusive ticket pre-sales to the 1927 Society Concert Series before they go on sale to the public. To learn more about becoming a member of the 1927 Society and all its advantages, click here.
About Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters
The music of Asheville, North Carolina based outfit Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters is nuanced, bringing insight and wit to the stories Platt tells through songwriting. Lyrically driven, the band’s country roots music often inspires introspection, whether it be about life on the road, heartache or hope.
There is an empathic and charming wit ingrained in Platt’s songwriting. She has a knack for accessing a deep well of emotion and applying it to her storytelling, whether she is writing from her own experiences or immersing herself into the melody of emotions in another person’s life.
Performing along with Platt, The Honeycutters are Matt Smith (pedal steel and electric guitars), Rick Cooper (bass/vocals), and Evan Martin (drums/vocals).

Monthly Bluegrass Jam
2022-05-28 14:00 - 17:00, 2022-06-25 14:00 - 17:00, 2022-07-23 14:00 - 17:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum in partnership with the East Tennessee Bluegrass Association is hosting a monthly gathering of local musicians for a bluegrass jam session! The jam events are intended to provide a space for local musicians to gather and pick, collaborate, share their experiences, and—most importantly—to have fun. The jams are acoustic and only feature traditional bluegrass instruments: acoustic guitar, upright bass, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, and dobro.
The jams are free and open to the public. All ages and skill levels are welcome. Those just interested in listening are also welcome!
Bluegrass Jams will be held on the fourth Saturday of each month from 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m., serving as a great warm-up for Saturday night gigs! Musicians are asked to bring their own instruments.
The sessions will be held in the Learning Center at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.
For more information call 423-573-1927.

Museum Volunteer Training - June
2022-06-11 09:00 - 12:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
We want YOU to join our wonderful team of volunteers at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum!
Date: Saturday, June 11, 2022
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Learning Center
If you have a passion for Bristol and its musical legacy and love helping others, our museum volunteer program is the perfect fit for you!
Museum volunteers play a vital role in a number of key areas behind the scenes and on the front lines, such as working as a gallery assistant, helping out in The Museum Store, working with the public at events and programs, and so much more! Our Museum Volunteer Training session gets you acquainted with every aspect of the museum to help you find your area of interest. Volunteer schedules are flexible and fun!
If you are interested in coming to our Museum Volunteer Training, email Erika at volunteercoordinator@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org.

"In Good Keeping in 2022" Film Premiere
2022-06-15 17:30 - 20:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
When: Wednesday, June 15, 5:30pm
Where: Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Performance Theater
Cost: Free and open to all, but registration is required to attend
REGISTER HERE

Join us on Wednesday, June 15 for the Virginia Folklife Program’s screening of In Good Keeping in 2022. Since its inception in 2002, the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program has served over 150 two-or-more person teams of mentor artists and apprentices representing the breadth of cultural expression in the Commonwealth. This feature-length documentary film showcases the artists and tradition bearers from the 2021-2022 apprenticeship class, followed by a discussion (and a little music) from participating artists, including: Walter “Skip” Herman & K. T. Vandyke, Emily Spencer & Lisa Ring , Chris Testerman & Sophia Burnett & Karlie Keepfer, Eddie Bond & Andrew Small, and Mac Traynham & Ashlee Watkins.
This event is co-presented by the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and Mid Atlantic Arts’ Central Appalachia Living Traditions. The museum featured the special exhibit Real Folk: Passing on Trades & Traditions through the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program in 2020; you can learn more about that exhibit and experience a virtual tour of it HERE.
Reception with refreshments will start at 5:30pm, the screening will begin at 6:00pm. Following the film, stay to hear discussion and music by the featured artists.
VIRGINIA FOLKLIFE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
The Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program has supported artists who are masters in traditions ranging from instrument repair in southwest Virginia to Mongolian mask-making in Northern Virginia to growing and grinding heirloom cornmeal on the Eastern Shore. By awarding teacher-student teams financial support and providing a platform to share their work, the Virginia Folklife Program works to sustain the community traditions that entertain, nourish, inspire, and define Virginians. The Virginia Folklife Program, based at Virginia Humanities, is the state center for the documentation, presentation, support, and celebration of Virginia’s rich cultural heritage.

Speaker Series (Hybrid): Dr. Daniel Pierce on Myth, Reality, and Moonshine in the Southern Mountains
2022-06-21 19:00 - 20:30 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Date: Tuesday, June 21, 7:00pm

Cost: Free and open to the public
Virtual: Click here to register
In-Person: Click here to register
On Tuesday, June 21 at 7:00 PM, we are continuing our hybrid Speaker Series with Dr. Daniel Pierce, Professor of History and Distinguished Interdisciplinary Professor of the Mountain South at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Dr. Pierce will join us in-person at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and via Zoom for a conversation about ”That’s Why All the Folks on Rocky Top Get Their Corn From a Jar: Myth, Reality, and Moonshine in the Southern Mountains.”
This program is supplementary programming to go along with our current special exhibit “It’ll Tickle Yore Innards!”: A (Hillbilly) History of Mountain Dew. All Speaker Series attendees will be able to visit the special exhibit for FREE between 6:00 and 7:00pm before the program.
We request that in-person attendees present their COVID-19 vaccine card or proof of a negative test when checking in for the program.
About Daniel (Dan) Pierce
Dr. Daniel Pierce is the author of Tarheel Lightnin’: How Secret Stills and Fast Cars Made North Carolina the Moonshine Capital of the World (UNC Press, October 2019), The Great Smokies: From Natural Habitat to National Park (UT Press, 2000), Corn From a Jar: Moonshining in the Great Smoky Mountains (Great Smoky Mountains Association, 2013), Hazel Creek: The Life and Death of an Iconic Mountain Community (Great Smoky Mountains Association, March 2017), and the first truly comprehensive history of early NASCAR, Real NASCAR: White Lightning, Red Clay, and Big Bill France (UNC Press, 2010). He has also recently collaborated with renowned Nashville, Tennessee poster artist Joel Anderson to produce the Illustrated Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Illustrated Guide to Exploring the Grand Circle: Utah and Arizona.
Pierce is Professor of History and Distinguished Interdisciplinary Professor of the Mountain South at the University of North Carolina Asheville where he teaches courses in Appalachian, North Carolina, Southern, and Environmental History, and the National Parks and serves as “Resident Professional Hillbilly”!

2022 Pick Along Summer Camp - Intermediate
2022-07-11 09:00 - 2022-07-15 15:00
At the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s Pick Along Summer Camp, students will learn foundational skills from expert instructors on the same style of acoustic instruments played on the 1927 Bristol Sessions recordings – banjo, guitar, or fiddle. Campers also get to explore the museum, learn about the music of Bristol and our region, receive instruction in singing and dancing, and work on projects with WBCM Radio Bristol while also making new friends! Students are given the opportunity to hone their skills as budding musicians while busking in Historic Downtown Bristol and will give a final performance for parents at the museum at the end of camp week.
Our Intermediate level Pick Along Summer Camp is designed for students aged 10-16.
June 20-24, 2022
Beginner Level – First time campers and those wanting a refresher in the basics
July 11-15, 2022
Intermediate Level – Return campers & those who already have basic skills in music

Times & Fees
Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Friday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
$175 for Birthplace of Country Music Museum members
$225 for non-members
Instrument Rental
$25

*Discounts are available for families with multiple campers. Sponsorships may be available upon request.
* Pick Along Summer Camp COVID protocols: Instructors, volunteers, and campers will be required to wear masks and social distance when in inside spaces during camp hours. Hand sanitizer and frequent handwashing opportunities will be available. These protocols are subject to change.
If you are selecting the Intermediate option July 11-15, see below to pay registration fee and fill out registration form:
CLICK HERE to pay registration fee for museum members
CLICK HERE to pay registration fee for non-members
CLICK HERE to pay instrument rental fee

Public Performance: Berea Festival Dancers
2022-07-12 15:15 - 16:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
When: Tuesday, July 12, 3:15pm
Where: Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Performance Theater
Cost: FREE
Please join us at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum on Tuesday, July 12, 3:15pm for a FREE dance performance by the Berea Festival Dancers!
The Berea Festival Dancers are a community folk dance group for youth in 7th through 12th grade. The group performs English Country Dances, Danish and Irish dances, English Ritual dances, Appalachian dances, and other American folk dance styles. International travels have taken them to England, Scotland, Wales, Spain, Ireland, Italy, China, Australia and Fiji, to present solo performances and to participate in international festival events. Domestically, the group has performed at Walt Disney World three times, toured from coast to coast, and danced in several Canadian provinces. We are excited to welcome them to the museum on July 12!
This dance demonstration/program will last around 30 to 45 minutes.

Teacher In-Service Workshops: Museum Education & Your Classroom
2022-07-18 - 2022-07-19 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
This summer the Birthplace of Country Music Museum is offering a Teacher In-Service Program in partnership with the Tennessee State Museum. The workshop will be divided into two sections:

The Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s lesson plans tied into Tennessee and Virginia state standards, educational resources, classroom and outreach activities, and field trip opportunities
The Tennessee State Museum’s resources, activities, and lessons for teaching students about the Reconstruction Era (while this is a Tennessee-focused museum, the materials TSM shares will also be helpful and appropriate to Virginia educators)

Event Details
Dates: Monday, July 18 (elementary) and Tuesday, July 19 (middle and high school)
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, Virginia
Times: 9:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. (lunch included)

9:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. – Tennessee State Museum (TSM) on the Reconstruction Era
11:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. – Lunch
12:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m. – Birthplace of Country Music Museum (BCMM) lesson plans, educational resources and activities, and a museum tour

Cost: Free
Certificate: An in-service certificate for five (5) hours will be presented to attending educators
Registration: Space is limited so register early to attend!
Description:
Are you hoping to jumpstart your teaching game and find new ways to make learning enjoyable and relevant in the fall? Do you want to explore topics of local, regional, and national importance and interest that intersect with your classroom teaching? Are you interested in how museums can support your teaching goals and your students’ educational needs?
If so, then we invite all local and regional educators to attend one of our in-person workshops this summer at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum (BCMM). These professional development opportunities will be offered July 18 (elementary) and July 19 (middle and high school) from 9:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
The teacher in-service workshops will engage educators in a variety of topics. Highlights of the Tennessee State Museum’s session include accurate content and background knowledge about the Reconstruction Era; classroom activities and materials designed to meet state standards; an exploration of TSM’s newest traveling trunk, The Three Rs of Reconstruction: Rights, Restrictions, and Resistance; and an overview of free classroom resources offered by TSM. The Birthplace of Country Music Museum will share new lesson plans for elementary, middle, and high school levels about the artists and personalities who recorded at the 1927 Bristol Sessions story, the songs and music of early country music, and the technology that impacted the music of that era. These lessons will enable teachers to make connections between museum resources and will include Virginia and Tennessee state curriculum standards. Additionally, we will share a variety of resources that you can access to supplement lesson plans and student projects.
Licensure credit will be provided; see your district or school licensure representative for details. All attendees will also receive a door prize!
Sign up today for a music-filled, distinctively fun professional development opportunity to learn more about museum education and resources. We look forward to seeing you at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum!
REGISTER HERE NOW!

Speaker Series (Virtual): Ralph Peer II on the legacy of the 1927 Bristol Sessions
2022-07-18 19:00 - 20:30
Date: Monday, July 18, 2022
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Cost: Free and open to the public
Virtual: Click here to register
On Monday, July 18 at 7:00 PM, we are continuing our Speaker Series with Ralph Peer II, Executive Chair of peermusic.
This year marks the 95th anniversary of the 1927 Bristol Sessions. In honor of that occasion, we are excited that Ralph Peer II, the son of Ralph S. Peer, the Victor producer at those historic recordings, will be with us via Zoom to talk about his father’s career, the legacy and impact of the 1927 Bristol Sessions, and the music industry.
Please note that this program is VIRTUAL ONLY; there will be NO in-person event.
About Ralph Peer II
Ralph Peer, II grew up in a household long familiar with country music. He remembers attending Jimmie Rodgers Days in Meridian as boy and, later in life, a number of visits to the Carter Fold and Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia.
He is now Executive Chair of a global network of music publishing and neighboring rights companies operating from 38 offices located in 31 countries, which was founded by his father, Ralph S. Peer, in 1928.
He is a lifetime Board member of the Country Music Association and Vice-President and Director of the National Music Publishers’ Association (USA), and he has served on the Boards of MCPS (UK), HFA (USA), ASCAP (USA), and the GRD (UK)
Mr. Peer is past Chair and a longtime Director of the Brussels-based International Confederation of Music Publishers (ICMP/CIEM). He was a founding Board Member of e-Music, serving from its inception until its sale to Vivendi.
He received his bachelor’s degree in economics and an MBA from Stanford University. In 1999 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Philosophy from Witten/Herdecke University in Germany.
He is a former Trustee of the Copyright Society of the USA for whom he delivered the 1983 Jean Geiringer lecture in International Copyright Law. Numerous recognitions for his service to songwriters and publishers have been awarded to him including those from the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame, National Music Publishers Association, Music Publishers Association (USA), and International Confederation of Music Publishers (Brussels).
Mr. Peer was presented France’s top cultural honor – “Officier dans Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” (“Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters”) – in 2018.

Film Screening: Hillbilly
2022-07-28 18:30 - 20:00
Date: Thursday, July 28, 2022
Time: 6:30 p.m. EDT (Doors open at 6:00 p.m., film runs 1 hour, 27 minutes)
Location: Performance Theater, Birthplace of Country Music
Cost: Free and open to the public, please RSVP
($5 suggested donation, all proceeds supports museum educational and public programming)
RSVP HERE
“With an endorsement from Dolly Parton herself, this investigative look at the unfairly maligned Appalachian people draws back the curtain on years of painful media representation. Hillbilly celebrates the humanity and diversity of this misunderstood American populace at a time when we all need to understand each other a little better.” – IndieWire
Directed by Emmy-Nominees Sally Rubin and Ashley York
Featuring bell hooks, Ronny Cox and Billy Redden from Deliverance, director Michael Apted, activists and writers Frank X Walker, Crystal Good, and Silas House, and musicians Sam Gleaves and Amythyst Kiah, hillbilly arrives at a crucial moment, confronting depictions of Appalachian and other rural people on a broad, national level.

This movie is for anyone who is a hillbilly or anyone who knows one.
Appalachia is no stranger to the complexity of media representation. Since our country’s inception, there has been a palpable divide between Urban and Rural America. Within this great divide, certain regions are viewed as “other,” and blamed for America’s social ills.
Since the presidential election, the cultural divide in America has expanded. Stereotyping and slurs are rampant, finger-pointing and name-calling abound. hillbilly goes on a personal and political journey into the heart of the Appalachian coalfields, exploring the role of media representation in the creation of the iconic American “hillbilly,” and examining the social, cultural, and political underpinnings of this infamous stereotype.
Filmed in Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, hillbilly uncovers an unexpected set of artists, poets, activists, queer musicians, “Affrilachian” poets, and intersectional feminists — all unexpected voices emerging from this historically misunderstood region.
Hillbilly is a timely and urgent exploration of how we see and think about poverty and rural identity in contemporary America, offering a call for dialogue during this divisive time in U.S. history.
This film screening is complementary programming to the museum special exhibit “It’ll Tickle Yore Innards!”: A (Hillbilly) History of Mountain Dew, on display now through August 7.

Trivia Night: Mountain Dew & More
2022-08-03 18:30 - 21:00 | Michael Waltrip Brewing, 221 Moore Street, BRISTOL, VA, 242014140, United States
When: Wednesday, August 3, 7:00-9:00pm
Where: Michael Waltrip Brewing, 221 Moore Street, Bristol, VA
Cost: Free and open to the public; a donation of $10 per team is suggested (all proceeds will support the museum’s educational and public programming)
Quiz team info: No limit on the number of quiz team members! Please arrive by 6:30pm to register your team for the event.
Join us at Michael Waltrip Brewing on Wednesday, August 3, for Trivia Night: Mountain Dew & More! Quiz Maestro Eric Drummond Smith, along with the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s curatorial team, will have questions galore on history, moonshine, NASCAR, music, an infamous lime-green soda, and hillbilly lore, from easy peasy to downright diabolical. So get your dream team together and come out for an evening of trivia fun. The winning team will receive some great museum and Mountain Dew swag!
This event is complementary programming to the museum’s current special exhibit – “It’ll Tickle Yore Innards!”: A (Hillbilly) History of Mountain Dew – on display through August 7.
Trivia Night: Mountain Dew & More is free but a donation of $10 per team is suggested – all proceeds will support the museum’s free or low-cost educational and public programming. There will be a donation jar at the event for anyone who would like to contribute.
Please arrive by 6:30pm to register your quiz team.

Speaker Series (Hybrid): Dr. Malcolm Smith on "Appalachian Fiddler Albert Hash: The Last Leaf on the Tree"
2022-08-09 19:00 - 20:30 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Date: Tuesday, August 9, 2022
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Cost: Free and open to the public
In-person: RSVP here
Virtual: Register for Zoom link
Join us on Tuesday, August 9, 7:00 p.m. for our next Speaker Series (Hybrid) featuring Dr. Malcolm Smith talking about renowned Appalachian fiddler Albert Hash.
Guitar-building legend Wayne Henderson credits his entire career to the mentorship of Albert Hash. “He was a true folk hero,” says Henderson in the forward to Smith’s new Albert Hash biography. Born and raised near Whitetop Mountain in extreme poverty, Hash rose to become one of the premiere old-time fiddlers in the world with the Whitetop Mountain Band, as well as building hundreds of much sought after fiddles in his shop on Virginia’s second highest peak. With this Speaker Series, Smith will share stories and memories that he learned in over 100 hours of interviews conducted while researching Albert. A local musician will also demonstrate Albert’s unique bowing style and play some of Albert’s versions of tunes like “Hangman’s Reel.” Smith’s book Appalachian Fiddler Albert Hash: The Last Leaf on the Tree will also be available for purchase.
About Dr. Malcolm Smith
Dr. Malcolm Smith is a writer and banjo player who specializes in writing about old-time musicians. Besides writing the biography of Albert Hash, he has written countless stories for The Old Time Herald, SingOut!, and other magazines. He has written recent features on banjo builder Mac Traynham, 90-year-old banjoist Rhoda Kemp, Walt Koken and Clare Milner, and many other musicians.
