We're happy to announce that Radio Bristol, the multimedia arm of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol TN/VA, is adding Across the Blue Ridge in February. We'll be on the air Wednesdays at 1 PM and Saturdays at 3PM each week. Radio Bristol presents on-air and online country music programming from numerous perspectives, all supporting the museum's mission of memorializing and illuminating the role of the 1927 Bristol recording sessions widely regarded as the "Big Bang" of the country music industry. The Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers were identified as possible major talents when they showed up to try out at the Bristol sessions managed by Victor Records talent scout Ralph Peer. Check out Barry Mazor's excellent survey of Peer's career here. Among others who recorded in those sessions was Ernest V. "Pop" Stoneman, along with members of his family. Descendants including daughter Roni Stoneman continue the family line of recording and performing artists today.
Radio Bristol's programming features the engaging Farm & Fun Time show, with live music in the tradition of the original Farm & Fun Time show on radio station WCYB, and many other programs highlighting both historical country music and today's old time, bluegrass, country and gospel artists.
We look forward to working with Radio Bristol -- our sixth Across the Blue Ridge station -- to further expand the Across the Blue Ridge audience, create new content through collaboration, and help raise awareness of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Radio Bristol and their interesting story. Here's the Radio Bristol news release on the addition of Across the Blue Ridge.