It all started with Ralph Peer, the ambitious record producer who recorded the 1927 Bristol Sessions and helped make The Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers into household names. On March 30, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum will open a special display on the legacy of Ralph Peer using artifacts loaned by the Peer Family Archives. The display will give visitors a glimpse into Peer’s influence beyond the Bristol Sessions and country music.
Ralph Peer II, the son of Ralph Peer, will be honored at a private reception at the museum after hours on March 30. Ralph Peer II, the current Chair and CEO of peermusic, oversees a global network of music publishing companies operating from 35 offices in 28 countries. With well over a quarter of a million titles in the company’s catalogue, and songs that vary from country, blues, jazz and pop to Latin, concert and rock ‘n’ roll, Ralph Peer II directs the largest privately owned company of its kind in the world.
“From Elvis and the Beatles to Beyoncé and Katy Perry, peermusic copyrights make up a vast catalogue of popular music recordings internationally,” said Museum Director Dr. Jessica Turner. “There’s a larger story to tell about Peer’s success beyond the Bristol Sessions. We are excited for the opportunity to share that story at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.”
The Ralph Peer display will be integrated into the museum’s permanent exhibits on the upper level of the museum and will be open through August 1.