Special Projects

The Birthplace of Country Music is pleased to be a part of the Greater Bristol Folk Arts & Culture Team, a community committee formed in response to an invitation by Mid Atlantic Arts’ Central Appalachia Living Traditions (CALT) Anchor Community Initiative in 2022.

Made up of representatives from regional cultural organizations and independent artists, our team works to promote and support folk arts and culture in the greater Bristol community. We have designed two new targeted funding opportunities for Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee: a tradition bearers fellowship and a cultural caretakers grant. Through these opportunities and our other activities, we seek to dramatically impact local sustainability and awareness of traditional practice and cultural knowledge, while also contributing to economic development and regional vitality.

Country Music, a documentary miniseries created and directed by Ken Burns and written by Dayton Duncan, premiered on PBS on September 15, 2019. The eight-part series chronicles the history and prominence of country music in American culture, with special attention given to Bristol in the first and third episodes. To learn more about the film and Bristol’s role in the birth of country music, visit MusicBristol.com.

Country music artists Ashley & Shannon Campbell, Ashley Monroe, Brad Paisley, Carl Jackson, Corbin Hayslett, Dolly Parton, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Emmylou Harris, Jesse McReynolds, Keb´ Mo,´ Larry Cordle & The Virginia Luthiers, Marty Stuart, Sheryl Crow, Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers, The Chuck Wagon Gang, The Church Sisters, The Shotgun Rubies, and Vince Gill join forces to pay tribute to the legendary 1927 Bristol Sessions with Orthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions Revisited.

This timeless, haunting, and powerful album reimagines the iconic recordings that created the “Big Bang” of country music and catapulted The Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers to stardom. Produced by Grammy-winning producer Carl Jackson and with accompanying narration by longtime Grand Ole Opry host Eddie Stubbs, the enduring beauty of the songs shines through. Not only does this album pay homage to the original recordings, it is destined to stir a reawakening within the industry that the 1927 Bristol Sessions helped shape.

How to Purchase Orthophonic Joy

Purchase Online

A portion of the sales from Orthophonic Joy benefit the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.
To purchase in person, please visit The Museum Store at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.

May 2020 marked the 100th anniversary of Bristol’s Blue Stocking Club, a group of women whose philanthropy over the years has transformed our community – from medical clinics to children’s organizations to safety net groups to local arts and culture. With these contributions, and so much more, their commitment to making Bristol a good place to live has been tireless.

Take a look back at the history of the Blue Stocking Club through this online exhibit.