- The Birthplace of Country Music

A collage of images of Patrick Haggerty, his husband J.B., and Lavender Country's two albums' covers.

Come Out Singing: The Music and Activism of Patrick Haggerty

By Sam Parker, AV & Technology Specialist at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. From the campfires of Valley Forge, to religious reformers in the First Great Awakening, to even […]

A screenshot from the scene from the 1980s film "The Blues Brothers," with the brothers making disappointed faces when told the "Country Bunker" has both kinds of music-- "Country and Western."

Both Kinds of Music: What is the difference between Country and Western?

By Ed Hagen, Gallery Assistant and Guest Blogger What’s the difference between Country and Western? Many people are familiar with a popular scene in The Blues Brothers movie where the […]

A black and white photo of Joe Hill imposed over a collage of pamphlets, letters, and cartoons either created by Hill or referenced in his music.

Troubadour or Tramp? The Protest Songs of Joe Hill

By Sam Parker, AV & Technology Specialist at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. Protest and labor have been common themes of American folk music for a long time. Woody […]

The Earth is a Garden: Environmentalism in Country and Folk Music

By Sam Parker, AV & Technology Specialist at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. A genre like country music relies heavily on the land and our natural surroundings for inspiration. […]

Young woman with green and brown hair taking a selfie in front of Capitol Hill

Advocacy Means Action: Help Protect Museums and Libraries Today

By Erika Barker, Curatorial Manager at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. Featured image of Erika on Capitol Hill for AAM’s 2025 Museum Advocacy Day. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ What is Advocacy? As […]

J.A.M.ming with the Boys From Bristol

By Erika Barker, Curatorial Manager at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with The Boys From Bristol, an exciting new musical group […]

Emmylou Harris and Her Guitars

Ellie Davis is an intern at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and a student at East Tennessee State University where she studies Human Studies with a minor in Old […]

A Brief Overview of Sacred Harp Music

By Sam Parker, Curatorial Specialist at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. Around the time of the 1927 Bristol Sessions, it wouldn’t have been too out of the ordinary to […]

“It’s Alive, It’s Alive!”: Frankenstein Instruments Brought to Life

By Rene Rodgers, Head Curator at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. November 21 marks the 103rd anniversary of the release of the movie Frankenstein (the book by Mary Shelley […]

Veteran Volunteers: Celebrating the Service of Museum’s Volunteers

“While we can never do enough to show gratitude to our nation’s defenders, we can always do a little more.” – Gary Sinise, Actor. As Volunteer Coordinator at the Birthplace […]

A Brief Introduction to Country Music in Japan

Guest Blogger Emily Lu is a PhD candidate in History at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. She is currently studying in Japan as part of the Fulbright program. Since the 1960s, […]

Spook Season: Graveyard Hunts for Bristol Sessions Artists

By Julia Underkoffler, Collection Specialist at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum Happy spooky season! This time of year, many people seek out ghost tours and other spooky adventures, many […]

Post Items Grid