News Category: BCM News

BRISTOL, Tenn.-Va. (June 6, 2023) – The Birthplace of Country Music presents the Nashville-based country fusion outfit Boy Named Banjo in concert at 6 p.m. ET, June 23. The performance is part of the quarterly 1927 Concert Series held in the performance theater at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Historic Downtown Bristol. Catering, an open bar, and a meet-and-greet with the band are included.
Known for killer live shows, Boy Named Banjo delivers a contemporary blend of Americana, bluegrass and folk-rock with both electric and acoustic instrumentation. Their critically-acclaimed major label debut EP “Circles,” released in 2021, set the band on a path that saw them performing at some of country music’s largest festivals including Dierks Bentley’s Seven Peaks, Country Jam, and CMA Fest. The band also supported Kip Moore on his Fire on Wheels Tour.

Boy Named Banjo has released several new songs of late, including “Whiskey Dreams,” “Heart in Motion,” and “Heart Attack,” which have been received well by fans and critics. The band made its debut at the Grand Ole Opry in March of this year.

The 1927 Society Concert Series is an intimate concert experience with some of the most hottest roots music artists performing today. Guests are asked to arrive at 6 p.m. ET to enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres and open bar (ages 21+ with valid ID) before the show, which begins at 7 p.m. The audience will have the opportunity to mingle with the band after the concert, and everything is included in the ticket price.

Tickets to the 1927 Concert Series performance by Boy Named Banjo are $100 and available now to the public for purchase online. For tickets and information about becoming a member of the 1927 Society so you may take advantage of exclusive pre-ticket sales, visit the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.

Click here to view Birthplace of Country Music’s June 2023 Newsletter.

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Bristol, Va.-Tenn. (Feb. 27, 2023) – The Birthplace of Country Music Museum (BCMM) in Historic Downtown Bristol, Va.-Tenn., is now listed among the top 10 music museums in the country, according to USA Today. BCMM is the only institution in the world dedicated to telling the story of the 1927 Bristol Sessions, the legendary recordings that created the “big bang of country music.”

“This museum showcases the roles Bristol, Tennessee and Bristol, Virginia played in the development of country music,” USA Today wrote. “The Smithsonian affiliate traces this musical history back to the 1927 Bristol Sessions recording – an event that helped shape the sound of commercial country music.”

BCMM ranked #6 in USA Today’s annual 10Best Music Museums readers poll just behind Detroit’s Motown Museum and Nashville’s Johnny Cash Museum, which came in at #1. Four of the top 10 museums are in Tennessee.

This is not the first time BCMM has been recognized by USA Today, the museum ranked among the top 5 in the 10Best Best Pop Culture Museums for the past two years, reaching #1 in 2021. BCMM has achieved dozens of awards over the years, including national and international recognition, which included the Best of the Best from the American Bus Association, the coveted Leadership in History Award from the American Association for State and Local History, and the Highly Commended Award from the British Guild of Travel Writers.

Here are the final results for USA Today’s 10Best Music Museums in 2023:
1. Johnny Cash Museum – Nashville, TN
2. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – Cleveland, OH
3. GRAMMY Museum L.A. Live – Los Angeles, CA
4. The Museum at Bethel Woods – Bethel, NY
5. Motown Museum – Detroit, MI
6. Birthplace of Country Music Museum – Bristol, VA-TN
7. GRAMMY Museum Mississippi – Cleveland, MS
8. Patsy Cline Museum – Nashville, TN
9. Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum – Nashville, TN
10. B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center – Indianola, MS

For more information about the museum and the Birthplace of Country Music, visit BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.

Bristol, Va.-Tenn. (Feb. 23, 2023) – The Birthplace of Country Music (BCM) and the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development are proud to announce singer-songwriter Ron Short has earned his place in the spotlight at Nashville’s famed Bluebird Cafe as the winner in the Tennessee Songwriters Week showcase round at The Down Home in Johnson City, Tenn. Wednesday night. Short was one of four songwriters out of 20 to advance from the qualifying round held at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum earlier this month where he performed his sentimental ballad entitled “France.” He competed against 17 other songwriters at The Down Home, each had advanced from qualifying rounds held in venues across Northeast Tennessee.

The event was emceed by Ed Snodderly, co-owner of The Down Home since 1976. He is an accomplished songwriter, musician, and supporter of live music. Judges included radio personality and host of “Women on Air” Susan Lachman, university instructor and musician Brandon Story, and songwriter-musician Seth Thomas. Judges considered lyric originality, performance and connection with the audience.

A veteran singer, songwriter, musician, and playwright, Ron Short is a mainstay act at Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion with his band The Possum Playboys. The multi-instrumentalist has carried on his family’s singing tradition that dates back to the 1800s. He joined Roadside Theater in 1979, has had 12 major recordings of his music, and has served as the producer of four collections of Appalachian music for PBS.

“Thanks to Ed and thanks to Tennessee Songwriters Week, you’re never too old to follow your dreams,” said Short.

Six other showcase events are scheduled this week, including at Lafayette’s Music Room in Memphis, Songbirds Foundation in Chattanooga, Ole Red in Gatlinburg, The Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, The Franklin Theatre in Franklin, and The Palace Theatre in Gallatin.

Short will join six other finalists from showcase rounds across the state to perform at The Bluebird Cafe during a private event in March with music industry professionals. Each will receive a branded commemorative Taylor guitar, two-night stay in Nashville, $100 gift card for travel and one-year membership to Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI).

With a wide variety of genres present in Northeast Tennessee including country, rock, jazz, metal and more, music and songwriting run deep into the roots of the region. As Bristol, Tenn. holds the title of “birthplace of country music,” the region has a long history within the genre and was the setting for the legendary 1927 Bristol Sessions, which included the first recordings of the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers.

Helmed by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Tennessee Songwriters Week was established in 2019 to support music venues, celebrate songwriters with live performances in all genres of music, drive visitation and inspire travelers to experience the state’s music stories, history, attractions and venues. Since its inception, more than 3,500 songwriters have shared their original music across Tennessee stages during the annual celebration.

The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development partners with The Bluebird Cafe, NSAI, Taylor Guitars, music venues and local convention and visitors’ bureaus, chambers and partners across the state, all committed to making sure songwriters have the opportunity to share their original work onstage with other writers.

Follow the journey of these songwriters and join the fun by following @tnvacation on social media and #tnsongwriters week.

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For more information about Tennessee Songwriters Week, visit tnvacation.com. For more informationabout BCM visit BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.

Bristol, Va.-Tenn. (Feb. 23, 2023) – The Birthplace of Country Music (BCM), the parent nonprofit of the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, and WBCM Radio Bristol in Bristol, Virginia-Tennessee, is currently accepting requests for proposals (RFPs) from talent buyers for its annual festival.

Established in 2001, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion is held over three days in Historic Downtown Bristol the second weekend of each year, encompassing several blocks along the state line of Virginia and Tennessee. The event celebrates the legendary 1927 Bristol Sessions recordings, which earned the twin cities designation as the “birthplace of country music” by U.S. Congress.

For more than two decades the festival has celebrated the music heritage of the region and the integral role that Bristol played in the development of the country music industry we know today. The multi award-winning event attracts an average of 40,000 music fans to the twin cities and is widely considered one of the premier music festivals in the Southeast. An independent study in 2015 revealed the event garnered $16.1 million in economic impact for the region as a whole.

Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion honors the past, present and future of music inspired by the 1927 Bristol Sessions through a variety of genres – from traditional old-time, bluegrass, blues, country Americana, and folk, to Celtic and Piedmont blues. Rockabilly, alt-country, indie and alternative rock are also on the roster, as the 1927 Bristol Sessions inspired the roots and branches of all types of music.

BCM is looking for a talent buyer who will work with our volunteer music committee for its 2024 festival lineup. Applicants should have a passion for music and a deep understanding of the festival landscape; possess a team that will use its experience to build the best and most diverse lineup possible for Bristol and make the festival an unforgettable experience for everyone who attends. One must also be able to work within a budget, discreetly and professionally negotiate deals with artists and their agents, and have experience working with a variety of genres that appeal to a broad range of music fans.

The RFP will be open for questions and clarifications until March 20, 2023. Interested parties can find the RFP on the Birthplace of Country Music website at https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/about/rfps-open/. Proposals will be accepted until April 17, 2023, at which time BCM will begin the process of interviewing and selecting a talent buyer.

Applicants should submit their RFPs to BCM at bids@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org. BCM is exercising the RFP process in compliance with its procurement policy.

For more information about BCM and Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, visit BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.

Bristol, Tenn.-Va. (Feb. 6, 2023) – Four talented songwriters from Saturday’s Tennessee’s Songwriters Week qualifying round at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum are one step closer to possibly landing a dream gig at Nashville’s famed Bluebird Cafe.

Adam Bolt, Abingdon, Va.; Melissa Johner, Marion, Va.; Katie Powderly, Frederick, Md.; and Ron Short, Duffield, Va., will move forward to the next phase of the competition – a Showcase event at The Down Home in Johnson City, Tenn. during Tennessee Songwriters Week. The Showcase will be held at 7:30 p.m. ET, Feb. 22. Once there, they will compete against other qualifiers from venues across the region. Only one songwriter will advance from The Down Home to Nashville and perform with other finalists from across the state.

A total of 61 songwriters entered videos in the Bristol qualifying round, some from as far away as Colorado and Maine. An independent panel narrowed the entries down to 20, but only four could be chosen to advance to the Showcase round.

“The level of artistry from each of the songwriters who performed on Saturday was exceptional,” said Charlene Baker, Communications Manager for the Birthplace of Country Music (BCM). “Our judges had a difficult time narrowing the field down to just four songwriters. It was a great day of music and a tradition I now look forward to every year.”

The remaining list of songwriters who performed in the Bristol qualifying round are as follows:

Blane Sage | Atkins, Va.
Carrie Brockwell | Chesterfield, Va.
Claire Childress | Big Stone Gap, Va.
Cory Michael Harris | Whitesburg, Ky.
Ella Patrick | Bristol, Va.
Isaac Drummond | Wytheville, Va.
Jamie Collins | Hillsville, Va.
Jonathan Short | Wise, Va.
K. T. Vandyke | Bristol, Va.
Landon Camper | Bristol, Tenn.
Lauren Frihauf | Byers, Colo.
Madison Denhardt | Big Stone Gap, Va.
Noah Spencer | Pounding Mill, Va.
Roger Ramsey | Mountain City, Tenn.
Sam Tayloe | Charlotte, N.C.
Sara Trunzo | Belfast, Maine

The public is invited to attend the Showcase event at The Down Home during Tennessee Songwriters Week to cheer on all the artists that competed in qualifying round venues across our region. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased through the venue’s website at DownHome.com.

Tennessee Songwriters Week supports music venues, songwriters with live performances in all genres of music, drives visitation and inspires travelers to experience the state’s music stories, history, attractions and venues.

The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development partners with The Bluebird Cafe, Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), Taylor Guitars, and music venues and local convention and visitors’ bureaus, chambers of commerce and partners across the state, all committed to make sure songwriters can share their original work onstage with other writers.

Follow along with Tennessee Songwriters Week by following @tnvacation and #madeinTN, #NowPlayingTN

For a full list of Tennessee Songwriters Week Showcase events across the state, visit TNVacation.com/songwriters-week.

For more information about the Birthplace of Country Music, visit BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.