Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion
The Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion is an annual music festival that takes place in downtown Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia on the second weekend in September. The three-day festival features a diversity of performers in recognition of the fact that the 1927 Bristol Sessions influenced many genres of music in America, and that the roots established in Bristol have grown deep and spread wide. Each year, the Festival hosts over 100 bands on 13 stages in Downtown Bristol.
Birthplace of Country Music Museum
The Museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, and tells the story of the legendary 1927 Bristol Sessions, a historic event that sparked what is now known as the “big bang of country music.” These recordings continue to influence and inspire the music of today.
Radio Bristol
Broadcasting from the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Radio Bristol brings you the very best in vintage and modern roots music, with original and syndicated programming that airs on the dial and online 24/7.
More to Explore
The Museum Store offers the finest in regionally sourced, handcrafted artisan items, music-themed gifts and décor, books, CDs, Bristol-centric souvenirs, and exclusive Birthplace of Country Music merchandise, all in one convenient location.
Why is Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia known as the birthplace of country music? On October 12, 1998, the U.S. Congress designated Bristol as the “birthplace of country music”–click here to learn more.
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Radio Bristol Spotlight: Logan Fritz
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Instrumental History: Inspired by Jimmie Rodgers Martin 000-45 Guitar
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Radio Bristol’s Top Albums of 2022
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Radio Bristol Spotlight: Florencia & the Feeling
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Radio Bristol Book Club: Songteller – My Life in Lyrics
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The Root of It: George Jackson on Ed Haley
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A Big Festival ‘Thank You!’: Gratitude Playlist Included!
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Radio Bristol Spotlight: Ed Snodderly
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Radio Bristol Book Club: Hear My Sad Story: The True Tales That Inspired “Stagolee,” “John Henry,” and Other Traditional American Folk Songs
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The Root of It: Brad Kolodner on Clyde Davenport
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Radio Bristol Spotlight: Anya Hinkle
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Radio Bristol Book Club: The Carter Family – Don’t Forget This Song
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Tintype Photography: A Bridge from the Past to the Present
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The Root of It: Nora Brown on Lee Sexton
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From The Vault: The 1927 Sears, Roebuck Catalogue
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Radio Bristol Spotlight: Shay Martin Lovette
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Radio Bristol Book Club: Weaver’s Daughter
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Radio Bristol Spotlight: Adam Bolt
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Radio Bristol Book Club: Sharyn McCrumb’s Appalachia
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Will the Circle Be Unbroken? A Personal Commentary on the Cycle of Various Changes in Country Music
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June Carter Cash: A Life in Country Music
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From the Vault: Postcards
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Reflections on Ten Years of Docent Tours
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The Technology That Made the Bristol Sessions Possible
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Country Music as an Academic Probe