Bristol, Va.-Tenn. (June 14, 2022) – Whether you call it firewater or mountain dew, moonshine flows clear throughout Southern Appalachian culture and is an interesting topic worth exploring. Dr. Daniel Pierce literally wrote the book on the subject, and he’s sharing his knowledge of the history of hooch at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Historic Downtown Bristol, Virginia-Tennessee on June 21 at 7 p.m. EDT as part of the museum’s monthly Speaker Series programming.
The subject of this month’s Speaker Series, “That’s Why All the Folks on Rocky Top Get Their Corn from a Jar: Myth, Reality, and Moonshine in the Southern Mountains,” is supplementary programming to the museum’s current special exhibit “It’ll Tickle Yore Innards!:” A (Hillbilly) History of Mountain Dew, on display in the special exhibits gallery through August 7.
“We’re looking forward to hosting Dr. Pierce at the museum for this fun and informative talk,” said Birthplace of Country Music Museum Head Curator Dr. Rene Rodgers. “We are also offering Speaker Series visitors a free tour of the special exhibit prior to the program for a fully immersive experience.”
In-person attendees can visit the special exhibit tour between 6 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. before the talk, which will be held in the museum’s Performance Theater. The Speaker Series and tour is free and open to the public, but guests are asked to preregister through the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org prior to arrival.
Dr. Daniel Pierce, Professor of History and Distinguished Interdisciplinary Professor of the Mountain South at the University of North Carolina Asheville, is the author of “Tarheel Lightnin’: How Secret Stills and Fast Cars Made North Carolina the Mooshine Capital of the World,” “Corn From a Jar: Moonshining in the Great Smoky Mountains,” and the first truly comprehensive history of early NASCAR, “Real NASCAR: White Lightning, Red Clay, and Big Bill France.” He also recently collaborated with renowned Nashville, Tennessee poster artist Joel Anderson to produce the “Illustrated Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park” and the “Illustrated Guide to Exploring the Grand Circle: Utah and Arizona.”
For more information about the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, visit BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.