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Meet the women behind the Birthplace of Country Music

Festival Museum Radio Tourism
April 1, 2024
Posted on by Erika Barker

Last month was Women’s History Month, and instead of looking backward, we chose to look forward and celebrate some of the amazing women who are leading the way, making a difference, and making history at the Birthplace of Country Music. The Birthplace of Country Music’s staff is majority female. This is not so surprising when you consider that women make up about 60% of the overall museum field, but what is surprising is that all of our leadership positions are held by women!

Even though the world has come a long way toward diversifying hiring practices and more women are now able to get in the door, it can still be hard to find a seat at the table. In many industries today, leadership roles are still held by men. For example, in the festival and event industry, where women comprise 40% of the workforce, 80% of all management-level positions are held by men.

Last month, we interviewed some of the women in upper management roles at the Birthplace of Country Music and have been sharing those interviews on our social media channels throughout the month to celebrate these women. Now we have compiled all of those interviews into one convenient blog! Read on to learn more about Dr. René Rodgers, Head Curator; June Marshall, Museum Manager; Paula Hurt, Managing Director; Kathryn Long, Director of Administration; Baylor Hall, Director of Operations; Shauna Tilson, Director of Development; Leah Ross,  Executive Director of Advancement; and Sarah Alexander, Director of Marketing.

 

What is your role in BCM, and how did you get there?

René: I am the Head Curator for the museum. I grew up in Bristol and knew the general story of the Bristol Sessions, but hadn’t dug deeper into this history. I went away to college and then on to graduate school in archaeology and a life in England for several years. And because I was a Rotary Ambassadorial scholarship winner my first year in the UK, I shared the story of Bristol’s country music connections to other Rotary clubs and groups while I was there. I moved back to Bristol at the end of 2011, right as the museum content development was ramping up, and in mid-2012 I was invited to be part of the content team, using my background in history, writing, and editing. I became the Associate Curator in 2013, followed by the Curator of Exhibits & Publications, and then finally Head Curator in 2018!

June: I am the Museum Manager. I began my employment on Frontline at the museum as a part time employee. As time went on, I was moved to full time. When our Museum Manager was moved to Operations, I was offered the position as manager before they reached outside BCM to look for someone. I accepted the position and have been here in that capacity ever since. That was about four years ago.

Paula: I am the Managing Director of the Birthplace of Country Music. I grew up in many different places as my father was a 20-year Marine so moving was the norm in our household. I graduated from East Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration – I am a first-generation college graduate. I have worked in cash management at a local bank, purchasing for a Fortune 500 manufacturer as well as cash manager/accounts payable supervisor for a global glass manufacturer. I served as the Vice President of Finance and Administration for the Bristol Chamber of Commerce for many years – which developed my love of the Bristol Community and the tourism industry. During this time, I was able to watch the evolution of the Birthplace of Country Music from the receipt of the designation by Congress, through the merger with Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion and then the opening of the Museum! I also volunteered for BRRR for many years. When the phone call came in 2022, I jumped at the opportunity to be part of this wonderful organization.

Kathryn: I am the Director of Administration. Leading up to my employment with BCM, I worked in a primarily male-dominated world of forestry. I led the Human Resources and Finance Department for my previous employer and was challenged greatly in my role. I was oftentimes looked at as less than during business meetings due to being a woman in a male-dominated field. I assure you, as I grew up in that industry, I knew more than most of the men about equipment and repairs along with the costs associated with both. After years of being in the forestry industry, I looked to be more fulfilled in my work life and decided a change was needed. Keith Liskey and BCM took a chance on me and I am forever grateful for their confidence in my abilities to be a working part of the BCM family. 

Baylor: I am the Director of Operations for BCM. When I joined the BCM team in January 2018, I worked as the Museum Manager. With 

my background in merchandising, retail, and customer service, I was a good fit to manage our Museum Store and work with the many local artisans we feature through our store consignment program. While I didn’t have experience working in a museum setting, it became a part of the job that I loved very much. BCM also hosted so many events – from concerts and shows to weddings and company parties – and I loved being a part of those as the Museum Manager. My love for working those events was one of the factors that led to me moving positions and becoming the Operations and Events Manager. Stepping into that position meant taking more responsibility over all events within the organization, especially in regard to our annual music festival, Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion. Little did I know when I took that position in January 2020 that the COVID-19 pandemic was right around the corner! The next two years, where I was navigating not only a new position but also a new world following the pandemic, was such a learning curve! My position within the organization continued to grow and adapt, and in January 2022, I became the Director of Operations.

Shauna: Since 2021, I’ve served as the Director of Development at BCM, where I lead initiatives in grants, individual giving, business contributions, sponsorships, planned giving, and our signature annual Super Raffle. My journey into professional fundraising unfolded naturally during my college years. It began when a former teacher faced a serious health challenge requiring extensive surgery. In response, a friend and I organized a fundraising event to support their medical expenses. This event’s success inspired us to continue hosting similar events for others in our community facing overwhelming medical costs. Graduating from college marked a pivotal moment when I transitioned my passion for fundraising into a fulfilling career path.

Leah: I started out as a volunteer in 2000 for Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion and was hired as the Executive Director in 2006. In 2022, I assumed the role of E.D. Of Advancement. In that role, I continue to be responsible for the festival. My role includes being a spokesperson, ambassador, advisor and fundraiser for the organization. I work with community groups, donors, government entities, the music industries and others. 

Sarah: I’m the Director of Marketing! I joined the team in 2022, where I lead all marketing efforts for all three of BCM’s branches. Prior to my role at BCM I worked in tourism in Galveston, TX and spent many years working in digital and social media marketing. While I enjoyed working in destination marketing, my heart has always been drawn to music. Growing up as a musician’s daughter, I watched my dad play bluegrass from many stages and listened to more Bill Monroe than I truly appreciated at the time. However, over the years, I began to treasure the very music I used to take for granted. In 2012, I interned at BCM as a college senior and knew one day I’d be back. I’m so glad that dream came true a couple of years ago!

Two images. Left image: June, a white woman with short grey hair wearing a black shirt and blue cardigan, is standing at a desk speaking with two people. Right image: Baylor, a blonde white woman wearing a white t-shirt, lanyard, and black baseball cap, has one arm around Leah, a white woman with short brown hair wearing a white t-shirt and lanyard.
Left image: June greets visitors at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. Right Image: Baylor and Leah at the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion festival. Both images are courtesy of the Birthplace of Country Music.

Have any women mentored or inspired you?

René: Yes, several! Two come to mind from my childhood: Anna Morgan and Barbara Bunn. Anna was my friend Annika’s mother and my mom’s best friend; she was also my 5th grade teacher. She wrote a novel in her youth, and today she is one of my best friends and someone I count on to have deeply meaningful conversations. Barbara was like a second mom to me, always encouraging curiosity and taking my whole family on adventures. She went back to school later in life, getting her Ph.D. in chemistry and starting Virginia Tech’s mobile chemistry lab. Both of them showed me the strength, creativity, and determination of women. When I lived in England, I worked for Professor Rosemary Cramp for a year. Rosemary was an archaeologist, responsible for excavating one of the most important early medieval sites in England. The time I spent with her was transformative — I learned so much about research, my place in the academic world, and how to get things done! My friend Susanna Baird also inspires me. She is one of the kindest people I know and one of the most talented, writing beautiful poetry and prose. And then there is my godmother Wanda Worsham, who has been the biggest cheerleader, supporter, and role model to me. She inspires me in so many ways on a daily basis — her favorite comic character is Wonder Woman for a reason! Finally, my mother Joyce mentored me through her constant love and support, even of things that scared her like my love of horseback riding and me living in a foreign country on my own for almost 20 years!

June: I don’t recall anyone mentoring me but I have had other women who definitely inspired me from the time I was a little girl. Golda Meir, Margaret Thatcher and Elizabeth Dole are a few of those women I looked to as having a strong influence in my life as a woman.

Paula: There have been many women who have inspired me over the years and displayed traits that have proven invaluable to me. As I try to choose one or two to list, I find myself thinking of the traits that I admire most in these women such as compassion, strength, drive, collaboration, intelligence, determination, kindness, and many others. I think of the strong core network my mother, grandmother, mother-in-law and aunts provided who raised strong families – instilling values, tenacity, respect and love. I think of teachers who taught not only academics but life lessons. I think of coworkers who have provided strength, support, teamwork, encouragement, and fun! Community and church leaders who have inspired a desire to make a difference, be a voice and step into volunteerism and community development.

Kathryn: I have been inspired by many women. Two being my mother and aunt. Both are strong, resilient women who have, by example. taught me that there is no challenge that is too large to concour. I have also been influenced by my fellow female coworkers at BCM. They tirelessly work to educate, drive, and excel in their departments all while juggling families and personal lives. I am humbled by the perseverance of my BCM family. 

Baylor: I feel that many women throughout my life have both mentored and inspired me – starting with my family. My mother was one of six daughters, and my dad had three sisters. Growing up, my Mom and my many aunts constantly supported me and helped show me what it meant to be a strong woman. I have also worked with, and for, many women throughout my career who have mentored me. From my very first job, where my boss took me under her wing and taught me so much more than was required, to female college professors, to women coworkers – I have really been lucky to feel the support of many, many women in my life.

Shauna: Absolutely! I’ve been fortunate to have been surrounded by many inspirational women in my life. Two remarkable individuals immediately come to mind. Firstly, my grandmother, India Gillespie, who is the namesake of my youngest daughter. She embodied intelligence, compassion, humor, and resilience, teaching me invaluable lessons about self-advocacy and standing up for what’s right. Secondly, Judy Franklin remains a cherished figure whom I always considered my guardian angel. Her unwavering kindness, boundless compassion, and generosity left an indelible mark on me, showcasing the profound impact one person can have on another’s life.

Leah: My sister, Sally, has always been an inspiration to me. She has always praised me when she thinks I’ve done good. However, she is quick to point out things that need more thought or could have been done better. She is always telling me she has my back.

Sarah: I’ve been inspired by so many women over the years, but the two that come to mind are my two grandmothers. My Nini, Kathleen. She taught me resiliency, compassion, and how to handle every situation with grace. My Nanny, Phyllis. She taught me to not take things so seriously and life is more fun when you take time to laugh.

Two images. Left image: Rene, a brunette white woman wearing a blue shirt, holds a large wall panel in a partially assembled exhibit gallery. Right image: Paula, a dark haired white woman wearing a black shirt and pink blazer, is speaking from a podium with the Birthplace of Country Music logo on the front.
Left image: Rene holing a wall panel while assembling the Women in Old-Time Music exhibit. Right Image: Paula speaking at the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion line-up reveal press conference. Both images are courtesy of the Birthplace of Country Music.

What challenges have you had to overcome as a woman in your role?

René: I think all women face certain gender-based issues to some extent during their professional and personal lives, such as being talked over or dismissed in discussions, assumptions made about their interests or abilities, when asserting yourself is downplayed or criticized as “being emotional,” etc. We are often held to different or higher standards. I feel fortunate to have worked with many wonderful colleagues over the years at BCM where that is thankfully not the norm. I think the biggest challenge in my role as a woman has come from the juggling I do between work and home — while I am not a mother, I have helped with parental caregiving over the last several years (a role that more often falls on women), and this can make work-life balance even harder than it already is when work is the only thing on your plate.

June: I don’t really recall any real challenges as a woman in my current role. I will say that throughout my life, there have definitely been times when I was talked “down to” by men because I am a woman. My father was a very strong influence in my life and he always encouraged me to be independent in my thinking as a woman, especially. I will always be grateful to have had a father who guided me in the direction that gave me encouragement to make the right choices and speak up for myself, no matter what. 

Paula: Having worked in both the manufacturing and non-profit environments as a woman, there have been challenges. I have always searched for avenues to change perceptions, earn respect and make a difference in whatever environment I find myself a part. After all, it is the challenges that make you stronger.

Kathryn: Oftentimes a woman’s voice is stifled due to our soft spoken nature. Feeling heard and respected professionally can be a challenge at times. However, I look forward to a future where gender, race, and lifestyle choices are not judged nor are subject to preconceived notions.

Baylor: Thankfully, I feel the majority of the challenges that have come with my position have been more about understanding and executing the full scope of my work than it has been about the fact that I am a woman in this field. With that being said, I am not immune to the gender-based issues that many women face on a daily basis. Much of the work I do takes place in more male-dominated spaces, and so learning how to work within that environment can definitely be challenging. I have to give a shout out here to my Dad – I grew up working alongside him on our family farm, and never once do I remember him making me feel as if I couldn’t/shouldn’t be doing the work because I was a woman. I remember going to other farms, and people being surprised he brought his daughter, but he always just responded with “she’s the best cattle hand there is.” Make no mistake – I was not the best cattle hand there was! I know that now, but at the time I just felt proud and strong. I think having that type of support from a young age has helped me feel more confident throughout my career and definitely contributes to me not being as intimated when I’m in a situation where it’s recognized I’m a woman. Becoming a mother also presented additional challenges – trying to shift the balance to manage an already full workload and add in the new position as Mom has been extremely challenging, but rewarding! 

Shauna: Regardless of the role or workplace, navigating the challenges as a woman in the workforce is always significant and diverse. I’ve encountered numerous situations where I’ve sat at tables dominated by men, offering answers to questions or solutions to problems only to be talked over or disregarded entirely. However, I’ve learned not to let these obstacles hinder me. I make a point to assert myself—I answer the questions, provide solutions, reiterate if not acknowledged, and ensure my voice is heard even if I’m interrupted.

Leah: I have faced many challenges in my career, but I have always ignored or overcome them.

Sarah: I think women are often underestimated. This is something I use as motivation to exceed expectations, but I also think it highlights the importance of advocating for yourself and other women. 

Two images. The left image is Sarah, a blond white woman wearing a black tank top and yellow crossbody bag, taking a selfi with Charlene, a red haired white woman wearing sunglasses and a pink tie-dye shirt, while they drive a golf cart at a festival. Right image is of Kathryn, a blond white woman wearing a black and white striped shirt, sitting at her desk in her office.
Left image: Sarah (left) and Charlene (right) riding in a golf cart at the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion. Right Image: Kathryn at work in her office. Both images are courtesy of the Birthplace of Country Music.

What is your favorite part of your job?

René: There are several things that I really love about my job. Firstly, I love the people I work with, and I am so proud of my team and all that they do each day. Secondly, it means a lot to me to be part of an organization that directly serves our community — from education and exhibits to the preservation of history. And on a personal level, I love being in a job where I get to learn all the time!

June: I love welcoming all our visitors! I have the privilege of meeting some of the most interesting people in the world. I also enjoy working with the wonderful artisans from our region.

Paula: My favorite part of working for BCM is that I am really working for the whole Bristol Community. Bringing new people to Bristol to discover the hidden treasure of our town. Imparting the proud heritage of the deep musical history to museum visitors and educating the next generation. Watching the crowds of people who come to Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion and LOVE our festival – and that I get to help organize and curate this event! Listening to Radio Bristol broadcast, educate and entertain a worldwide audience – that’s pretty special. But I have to say that I am blessed to work with a group of amazing people that are all driven by a passion and love for what they do and the organization they represent – that is priceless.

Kathryn: The most favorite part of my job is working with a team that is so passionate and forward thinking. Feeling support from your fellow co-workers is so inspirational. I feel very honored being a part of the Birthplace of Country Music!

Baylor: My favorite part of my job, and one of the most challenging aspects, is how it is constantly shifting. My days are never “status quo” types of days. I feel like I’m constantly getting presented with new puzzles to figure out. BCM has so many things going on all the time and I enjoy the “chaos” of working in an environment like that. It can be difficult to balance all of the moving parts, but it is never boring!

Shauna: Working at the Birthplace of Country Music offers numerous rewarding experiences. One of my favorite moments is strolling down State Street during Bristol Rhythm & Roots, witnessing thousands of people enjoying themselves, and realizing that the year-long effort was truly worthwhile. I also feel immense pride when I see elementary students learning about our region’s rich history at the Museum or witness Radio Bristol producing another successful Farm and Fun Time event. What I cherish most about my role here is knowing that my time and effort aren’t just about earning a paycheck; they’re about contributing to programs and creating experiences that significantly impact our community and region.

Leah: My favorite part of my job is working with people in the community. I have been fortunate to have been able to meet so many people in my years with BCM who have become lifetime friends and mentors to me. My wish is that I always treat people with respect.

Sarah: My favorite part of working at BCM is throwing live events. Bristol Rhythm & Roots is my favorite weekend of the year! Every morning, I drive to work down State Street and dream of the thousands of music fans crowding the streets. I take a lot of pride in knowing we’re responsible for carrying on such a sacred tradition.

If you had unlimited resources, what would your dream project be for BCM?

René: My dream project is actually one that I hope we will be able to accomplish one day — to have a Smithsonian SparkLab! as part of the museum. This would enable us to serve K-12 and families with STEAM-based activities, resources, and fun learning opportunities in really meaningful and engaging ways. Plus, it would just be super cool!

June: I would like to see the Museum become fully accessible to all physical and mental disabilities. For example, those who are blind or visually impaired and those without hearing or with hearing loss. And along with the physical disabilities, it would be so helpful to have chair lift transportation for when the elevator is out of order.

We could always use more storage space, especially for The Museum Store. We currently have a tiny closet that is very limited with its layout for storage of back stock and supplies for the store.

As much as I love our Performance Theater, it would be wonderful to have our own much larger theater also, to host bigger shows without having to utilize outside sources.

Paula: My dream for BCM is to be that organization with unlimited resources! If this staff and volunteers can produce what is produced with the limited resources that are available, what the future for the organization and the Bristol community would be with more robust resources would be amazing. Truly, my dream would be that the organization have an endowment program in place that would secure the future of the organization for perpetuity – to know that the Museum, Festival and Radio would continue and grow for many generations. Leaving the legacy of the past with the ability to build and expand toward the future is truly what makes BCM so special. 

Kathryn: A dream project for BCM would be the ability to provide travel exhibits to our regional school systems. Allowing the exhibits to come to schools rather than have the children travel would be amazing, as bus transportation has become so difficult for school systems.

Baylor: If I had unlimited resources, a dream project for me would be for BCM to travel! I would love to see BCM collaborate on and produce events all over the country. I love the idea of a “Brought to You by the Birthplace of Country Music” type of project that would reach different audiences and demographics and give us different platforms to share our story.

Shauna: I have numerous dreams for our organization, and it’s challenging to pick just one. One dream that’s coming to fruition is our event on June 1st featuring Dwight Yoakam, which I’m incredibly excited about. Another major dream project is the completion of the Museum Expansion, as I believe it will have a profound and positive impact on our community.

Leah: If I had unlimited resources (money), I would build an endowment for BCM so that we could have the staff we need to do all the things we dream about doing. For example, a robust education department, complete renovations of the Joe & Cindy Gregory Building for the expansion of the Museum, and increase the number of staff where needed, just to name a few. In closing, I would say that I have been blessed to be able to be with the organization for many years. It is an honor and a sense of pride for me because I love and believe in the work that we do each and every day every day. 

Sarah: If I had unlimited resources, my dream would be to grow our team!

Letterpress and The Cardboard History of Blue Ridge Music

Education Exhibits History Museum
March 6, 2024
Posted on by Guest Blogger

by David Winship, Guest Blogger

Getting the word out takes on a special significance when one talks about the method that the visual word is produced. Many have heard of the history of printing, that Gutenberg produced the first movable type in Europe. Some know that over the following five hundred years, printers used a variety of technologies, from monotype to linotype and letterpress to offset printing to our modern digital processes. Yet few recognize the threads that run through the centuries of printing that are reflected in the current exhibit at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum entitled, “A Cardboard History of Blue Ridge Music.”

A scene inside of a letterpress print shop. Posters are hung in a line against a brick wall. Wooden letters and type face are on a shelf under the posters. A black hand press and box full of type is on the table under the shelf.
A variety of posters which have come from the Sign of the George Press at King University, Bristol, TN. 
A large black printing press inside of the print shop, a brick wall is surrounding the space.
The Chandler and Price press, workhorse of the Sign of the George Press.

These posters that anchor the exhibit were produced with handset and letterpress printed type, some from small local print shops and some from more established print shops, such as Hatch Show Print in Nashville. The posters used primarily wooden type, which could be up to 5” in height to grab your attention. Some of the smaller type up to 1” were metal. Both types would have been arranged and fastened together to be printed on presses that had their origins in the early days of printing, both presses that were flat bed operated manually and presses that were motorized.

In the early days of country music, hand bills that could be put up in stores and stations advertised the location of music shows. The posters of this collection are primarily from the 40s through the 70s and advertised concerts and small festivals. They were printed on thick cardboard, were cheap and easy to produce, and were expected only to last from the time of posting to the time of the show and then thrown away. The fact that many have survived is a tribute to both the stability of the printed form and the diligence of those who recognized their historical importance.

Letterpress printing is a trade that has gone out of favor with the coming of more modern techniques, but has reemerged as a craft in the art field. When many of the old shops closed or were converted, often the type was scrapped, the presses were sold for their weight in cast iron, and the typecases ended up as showcases for knick-knacks. For those materials and equipment that survived, the current recognition of hand-crafted art will prolong the legacy of the printing trade.

Letterpress refers to both the type of medium which is being printed, as well as the technique and presses which are used for printing. In this context, the letters are individual or monotype. This means that each letter has to be uniquely selected and arranged to form the words. These lines of type are then firmly locked into a frame, which is then printed on a press.

A closeup of a right hand is holding metal typeface letters.
Composing a body of type before printing.

 Pictures that accompany the text can be made mechanically or by hand, cut from wood, linoleum or engraved. When the copy is set and prepared, ink is applied by rollers, either by hand or mechanically on the larger presses. Unique to this process is that the letters are created and set in reverse, essentially backward, so that when the impression is made it comes out right side up and readable. 

Locally in Bristol at King University, the Sign of the George Press has had a resurgence with the support of the Digital Media Art and Design Department. The Press was started by Dr. George P. “Pat” Winship in the late 60s as a way to show his English students the methods that authors like William Shakespeare had to manage to get their literary works into print. Dr. Winship had a small press when he was growing up as the son of a rare books librarian and he continued the press by accumulating type and presses from the printshops that were going out of or away from the letterpress business as they modernized. The press at King is operated by Winship’s son David, a retired public-school educator who grew up with the press.

Four people are standing around a vintage printing press, looking at the press as one man operates it.
Lee Jones, left, and Joe Strickland, right, at the press with students. Both are professors with the DMAD (Digital Media Art and Design) Department at King University.

 

 

The Birthplace of Country Music Museum will offer a hands-on workshop at the Museum on March 16, which will allow participants the opportunity to learn about letterpress printing, produce a poster of their own, and to tour the exhibit. Participants will also have the opportunity to tour the Sign of the George Press on King University campus to get a close up look at the printing process. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the Vault: Posters

Collections Exhibits History Museum
February 20, 2024
Posted on by Julia Underkoffler

By Julia Underkoffler, Collection Specialist at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum

Come see our special exhibit, Cardboard History of Blue Ridge Music open until July 21, 2024!

Poster advertising has been used as a marketing tool since the late 1800s. Companies and businesses would advertise anything from places to shop, war propaganda and music events. Since these posters were often made of paper and glued to an outside surface, like a telephone pole or outside of a business storefront, many early posters ads did not survive and are often highly sought after by many collectors. 

Letterpress is one of the most recognizable forms of concert posters in Country music styles. Letterpress printing is a technique, which has been used for centuries, of printing multiple copies of the same design by inking a raised surface and stamping it on a piece of paper. Similar to a stamp, the letters and designs are replaceable. The design is held together with a frame and is placed opposite of how the poster will be hung. To learn and make your own letterpress poster sign up for a Letterpress workshop with BCM and King University on March 16, 2024. 

Learn more about letterpress locally at the Burke Print Shop at the Wayne C. Henderson School of Appalachian Arts in Marion, Virginia.

Photo by Julia Underkoffler. On loan from the Tom Murphy Collection, a part of Cardboard History of the Blue Ridge.

The company that would later become Hatch Show Print was founded in 1875 and became infamous in the country music industry for their work with the Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry starting in the mid-1920s.  You can join us for a Speaker Session on April 9, 2024 with guest Celene Aubry from Hatch Show Print to learn more! 

Today, however, many posters are produced digitally. There is still a deep nostalgia for letterpress posters. 

Fifth Annual Fiddlers Convention

Donated to BCMM in 2017, this poster advertises the fifth annual Fiddlers Convention and North Carolina State Championship held at Cool Springs School in Statesville, North Carolina on November 19, 1966. Dwight Barker, a radio and TV personality, was the M.C. for the convention. There were cash prizes for the top three best bands, best banjo players, and most promising talent, as well as trophies to the state champions. 

Photo by Ashli Linkous. Donated in honor of all the musicians that participated.

Roy Acuff for Governor Poster

Donated at the request of the late William Wampler in 2016. The poster was produced for Acuff’s Tennessee Governor campaign in 1948, when he accepted the Republican nomination. Although he did not win the Governorship these posters survived and reproduction prints are still being sold by Hatch Show Print. The copy in our collection was signed by Acuff on August 26, 1972. 

Photo by Ashli Linkous. Roy Acuff poster donated at the request of the late William Wampler.

Mountain Stage/BCMA

A signed poster from a partnered show between Mountain Stage, a live radio program in West Virginia, and the former Birthplace of Country Music Alliance (BCMA) organization. In 2013 BCMA and Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion merged to create the Birthplace of Country Music Inc. organization. This event was on August 21, 2011 and included Jim Lauderdale, John Lilly, Red Molly, The David Mayfield Parade, Vince Gill, and hosted by Larry Groce. 

Photo by Ashli Linkous. From the Birthplace of Country Music’s Institutional Archives

Orthophonic Joy

Orthophonic Joy is a collection of reimagined recordings of the original 1927 Bristol Sessions songs. This album was produced by Carl Jackson, a Grammy award winner and used as a benefit for the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. The album includes Emmylou Harris singing “Bury Me Beneath the Willow”, Dolly Parton singing “When They Ring Those Golden Bells”, Sheryl Crow singing “The Wandering Boy,” and Brad Paisley and Carl Jackson singing “In the Pines.” This CD can be purchased in the museum store. 

Learn more about the making of Orthophonic Joy here.

Photo by Ashli Linkous. From the Birthplace of Country Music’s Institutional Archives.

Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion Festival Posters

Starting in 2001 the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion festival (BRRR) was created to celebrate the rich musical heritage that was popularized by the 1927 Bristol sessions. Occurring on the second weekend in September every year, BRRR has seen countless legendary musicians on the lineup, like The Del McCoury Band, Little Jimmie Dickens, Jim Lauderdale, who made his first appearance in 2004, and Marty Stuart just to name a few. Each year the organization gets a different artist to create and design the festival poster. Over the last 20 plus years we’ve had artists including Willard Gayheart, Charles Vess, and Leigh Ann Agee and many more. Only so many of these posters are printed every year and once they are gone, they are gone! Below are some of my personal favorites. 

2001 Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Poster

The first year highlights the train station which helped many artists get to Bristol in 1927 to record with Ralph Peer and make Bristol what it is today!

Photo by Julia Underkoffler. From the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s Institutional Archives

2005 Bristol Rhythm and Roots Poster

I love all of the artists that were included in this poster. It is a great way of showing the impact Bristol has had to music.

Photo by Julia Underkoffler. From the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s Institutional Archives

2006 Bristol Rhythm and Roots Poster

This poster was designed by Charles Vess. I absolutely love how the colors complement each other and the tree roots making a treble clef.  

Photo by Julia Underkoffler. From the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s Institutional Archives.

2021 Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion Poster

This will always be one of my favorite BRRR posters because it was my first BRRR. 

10th and 20th Anniversary Posters

These are two special posters we came out with for the 20th anniversary. This is a great way to display all of the first 20 years of festival posters.

Photos by Julia Underkoffler. From the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s Institutional Archives.

Several years of Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion posters are still available for purchase at the museum store. 

Ten Years and Ten Things: The Birthplace of Country Music Museum

Exhibits History Museum
February 9, 2024
Posted on by Rene Rodgers

By Dr. René Rodgers

The Birthplace of Country Music Museum opened its doors to the public on August 1, 2014 with a weekend of music, history and culture, food, friends and family, and so many amazing visitors. Through the past several years, as we’ve seen changes and growth; hundreds of exhibits, outreach activities, and educational and public programs; and a pandemic, we are proud and excited to be celebrating our 10th anniversary! We’ll be sharing stories, images, and videos to mark this milestone throughout the year, but today we wanted to share ten things you might not know about the Birthplace of Country Music Museum:

1. Archaeology in a Country Music Museum?

The museum is in a historic building from the 1920s, formerly a Chrysler distributorship owned by Frank Goodpasture Sr. The building was later used for entertainments like sporting matches, musical concerts, and dances, and it also once housed a cab company, barbershop, shoe store, and newsstand. All of these different uses meant that when the building was being renovated to become the museum, the construction crew found lots of archaeological curiosities from the building’s previous lives – from an intact Edison lightbulb (now hanging in the porch area of our permanent exhibits) to pieces of china to an empty bottle of Dr. H. S. Thacher’s Cough and Croup Syrup!

Several of the archaeological finds from the museum’s renovation: a glass inkwell, patent medicine bottle, and china handle. © Birthplace of Country Music; photographer: Ashli Linkous

2. Local Voices

Creating a museum is a big job, and creating the content and exhibits is turned over to a company who does that work for a living. At the early planning stages, that was the intent, but it soon became apparent that we had numerous local scholars, experts, and musicians on our doorstep who had the expertise to do this work. And so a local content team was pulled together – led by ethnomusicologist Dr. Jessica Turner, the team included scholars and musicians from East Tennessee State University (Roy Andrade, Dr. Lee Bidgood, Amythyst Kiah, and Dr. Ted Olson) and King University (Ryan Bernard); former Birthplace of Country Music Alliance director Bill Hartley; and researcher/writer/editor Dr. René Rodgers (me!) and Sarah Tollie. Over the course of two years, this team met regularly – along with the museum’s architects Peyton Boyd and Michael Haslam, the exhibit design team at studioMUSarx, and Hillmann & Carr, the media producers – to discuss the textual panels, images and objects, and audio-visual elements that would fill the permanent exhibit space with engaging content. This decision to stick with local community members to tell the important history of the 1927 Bristol Sessions and our regional music heritage has resulted in a museum where these stories are explored with passion, deep knowledge, and personal connection, making the museum experience that much richer to our visitors.

3. Wax People

Lots of museums have dioramas with taxidermy animals or scenes/exhibits with wax museum figures. And early in the content development process, we considered two such scenes – one of The Carter Family recording in the makeshift studio on State Street and one of a producer or DJ and a band in a radio station. These wax figures can be wonderfully realistic but sometimes also just a little bit creepy – akin to dolls and all of the associated weirdness we feel with them! In the end, the cost of the wax people was out of our budget, but most importantly, after discussion and ambitious speculation, we decided to figure out how to turn what was meant to be a simple radio station exhibit into an ACTUAL live, working radio station – and Radio Bristol was born!

Radio Producer Kris Truelsen, NOT a wax person. © Birthplace of Country Music

4. Twinkle in the Eye

As we began thinking about this 10th anniversary, we started digging into our institutional archives to stir up some memories – and we found a treasure trove of stuff! One of the coolest was a stash of blueprints from past iterations of the museum design before we got to the museum we know and love today. Some things stayed pretty similar across designs, but there were also some surprises. For instance, one plan showed a second exterior marquee-style sign above the Moore Street side door bearing the words “Playing Tonight: Bill Hartley,” which would have been a great addition! Another plan illustrated a different configuration for the first-floor theater, one where there were 11 rows of seats in front of the stage in a typical theater configuration. This layout would have given the room around the same number of seats that we have today, but our current configuration is much more intimate and engaging for audiences. Finally, the biggest surprise was a plan for a third floor to be built onto the original two-story building – this space would have included offices and other administrative areas, but it was ultimately nixed as this type of construction is not allowed on buildings where historic tax credits are used to help fund the work.

The blueprint with the marquee-style sign. © Birthplace of Country Music; photographer: Ashli Linkous

5. Hip Hip Hooray!

Early in the museum’s life, we were excited to be recognized by peers and scholars in the museum and history fields. For instance, in 2015 the museum won the Past Presidents’ Award of Excellence from the Tennessee Association of Museums; that same year, the poster design for the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s grand opening won in the American Alliance of Museum’s Publications Design Competition. In 2016 we were honored with an American Association for State and Local History Leadership in History Award.

The poster from the museum’s grand opening in August 2014 is reminiscent of Hatch Show Print designs. © Birthplace of Country Music; designed and letterpress printed by Hound Dog Press

6. Ghostly Moments?

Any historic building can be spooky at night when the lights are low and you might be the only one in a particular space – there are mysterious creaks and pops, dark corners, old photographs and objects, and often overactive imaginations at play. The display case dedicated to the story of Bristol’s own hometown musical hero, Tennessee Ernie Ford, frequently helped to put chills down our spines when an 8-track tape would regularly fall over with no real explanation as to why. Its mount had been built specifically for its dimensions, the mount’s attachment wasn’t loose on the back of the case, the case was sturdy and not easily moveable… Was the ghost of Ernie Ford communicating with us? Was it the ghost of a music geek who was sharing their contempt for the oft-maligned 8-track format? We’ll never know!

The Tennessee Ernie Ford case with the haunted 8-track in question! © Birthplace of Country Music; photographer: Ashli Linkous

7. Family Connections

Georgia Warren cuts the ribbon at the museum’s Grand Opening; Roni Stoneman can be seen behind her. © Birthplace of Country Music; photographer: Angela Freese

One of the biggest pleasures of working at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum has been the connections we have made with family members of the 1927 Bristol Sessions artists. Over the years, these relationships have helped us to tell the stories of these musicians in more detail and with more interest; they’ve shared objects and photographs with us that have enhanced our exhibits; and we’ve enjoyed spending time with them and seeing their own joy of their relatives being recognized and celebrated in the museum. At the museum’s grand opening, Georgia Warren, the last surviving member of the artists who recorded at the 1927 Bristol Sessions, and Roni Stoneman, daughter of Ernest Stoneman, participated in the ribbon cutting. Two branches of Alfred Karnes’ family connected through the museum’s Green Board, and then later held reunions at the museum. Charles McReynolds’ grandson, Jesse McReynolds, played his fiddle on Radio Bristol’s original Farm and Fun Time show. Blind Alfred Reed’s grandson brought his fiddle to the 90th anniversary of the Sessions where it was admired by Ralph Peer II, Ralph Peer’s son. The family of Jimmie Rodgers loaned us his Blue Yodel guitar in 2023, recently extending that loan through 2027 and the Bristol Sessions’ 100th anniversary! We hope these connections and relationships continue to grow, and that family members always hold the museum and the story we tell in their hearts.

8. Design Details

When designing the museum’s exhibits, the studioMUSarx team and their partners did an amazing job creating engaging displays and panels. But what’s even cooler are some of the hidden design details that can be found throughout the museum. For instance, different tonewoods were used in the downstairs theater – for those who don’t know, tonewoods are different types of wood that are used for acoustic string instruments due to their tonal qualities. Similarly, the floor of The Museum Store is made of curly maple, a wood often used when crafting guitars. Another great design detail can be seen on the reader rail in front of the radio station booth where the material used to cover speakers has been used behind the cut-outs on the rail. There are many more of these wonderful details to be found in the museum – but you’ll have to wait for a blog on another day to learn about them all!

The speaker material on the reader rail in front of the radio station is a nice design touch. © Birthplace of Country Music; photographer: Ashli Linkous

9. Ramped Up!

Being a historic building, there were several elements of the original construction that we had to keep in place. One of the coolest is truly behind the scenes so not experienced by our visitors, but always appreciated by staff. In the loading bay of the museum, you can see the very top of the original ramp that led from the Goodpasture building’s first floor to its second. This was the ramp that the distributorship’s workers would have used to drive cars up to the second-floor showroom. The museum’s architect and contractors were allowed to take out the majority of this ramp during the renovation, but the top of it was kept in order to preserve the physical connection to the building’s history.

The acoustic tiles in the performance theater are both functional and striking. © Birthplace of Country Music; photographer: Haley Hensley

10. Acoustic Engineering

As a music museum, each room is filled with music, which requires sophisticated acoustic engineering solutions – for instance, overhead acoustic panels that direct sound downward to minimize its bleed into other areas of the space (I think of these as “sound umbrellas”!). But because it is a museum, those solutions also needed to be integrated in innovative ways into the exhibits and different spaces. In the downstairs theater, some of the speakers are hidden behind patterned acoustic tiles, while the upstairs theater has acoustic fabric on the walls to help deliver the film’s sound. Sound drivers were originally attached to the backs of the acrylic panels of the foyer sculpture, turning this piece of art into a giant speaker. Similarly, sound drivers/speakers have been placed under the pews in the chapel theater space so that when you sit in there to watch the film, you can actually “feel” the music! Steve Haas, the museum’s acoustical engineer, even created a creative acoustic activity for our educational programs – a sound driver and amplifier that we often use to show how sound travels through different materials creating different levels and quality of sound.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. René Rodgers is the Head Curator of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. She has been with the organization, first as a freelance writer/editor and later on the curatorial team, since 2012.

The Power of Music: Five Songs for Civil Rights

Exhibits Museum Music & Songs
January 15, 2024
Posted on by Rene Rodgers

January 15th is recognized as Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In recognition of Dr. King’s important work and fight for the equal rights of  black Americans during the Civil Rights movement, this blog details the music of the movement.  Originally  posted on December 29, 2018 and written by Rene Rodgers. 

Here at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, we’ve spent the past month and a half exploring the power and impact of visual imagery through the NEH on the Road exhibit For All the World to See: Visual Culture and the Struggle for Civil Rights (on display until January 7, 2019). But we’re a music museum, and one thing we know for sure: music has power and impact too.

And that is certainly true when you think about the music of the Civil Rights movement. Many of these songs had their origins in traditional hymns and African American spirituals, and while they weren’t all originally about freedom and social justice, their message was clearly relevant. Some were also revised to include new lyrics that spoke directly to the issues people were facing, such as voting rights. Others grew out of the musicians’ personal experiences or observations of the discrimination around them.  These songs – often and rightfully called anthems – inspired determination and bravery, helped to lessen fears and steady nerves, focused activists’ passion and energy on the task at hand, and acted as motivators to protesters and observers alike. They were delivered by professional musicians and groups like the Freedom Singers, but more importantly they became the unified voice of ordinary people displaying extraordinary courage at rallies, marches, and protests and in churches, meetings, and workshops.

The album cover shows the CORE logo, the title, and a series of music notes in the form of diner counter stools.
The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) produced a record of “sit-in songs” in 1962, which included “We Shall Overcome.” The musical notes are in the form of diner counter stools. This record went along with the Freedom Highways project, when activist volunteers worked to integrate chain restaurants along the main federal highways. Image from https://library.duke.edu/exhibits/johnhopefranklin/civilrights.html

There are many accounts of this music history and the songs of the Civil Rights struggle in books, audio collections, and films such as Strange Fruit: The Biography of a Song, We Shall Overcome: A Song That Changed the World, Let Freedom Sing: The Music of the Civil Rights Movement, Sing for Freedom: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement Through Its Songs, Voices of the Civil Rights Movement: Black American Freedom Songs, 1960-1966, Freedom Song: Young Voices and the Struggle for Civil Rights, and Soundtrack for a Revolution (screened at the museum in November). All of these are worth exploring to get a better understanding of the place and significance of music in the fight for civil rights over the years.

A blog post about this music would be incredibly long – it’s a long and interesting history and each song has a story! And so, we’ve chosen just five songs that highlight the power of this music, including a brief history or description of each, to get you started on an incredibly inspiring musical journey.

“Uncle Sam Says,” Josh White (1941)

Josh White’s 1941 record Southern Exposure: An Album of Jim Crow Blues, co-written with poet Waring Cuney, was called “the fighting blues” by author Richard Wright, who wrote its liner notes. One of its songs, “Uncle Sam Says,” highlighted the frustration felt by African Americans when faced with the continuing effects of Jim Crow even as they fought and gave their lives for their country. It was inspired by White’s visit to his brother at Fort Dix in New Jersey where he saw the segregated barracks and unequal treatment of the black servicemen. After the album was released, White was invited by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to the White House for a command performance, the first black artist to do so.

“This Little Light of Mine,” Rutha Mae Harris

For many of us, “This Little Light of Mine” is a song of our childhood sung at school or church. But the song has a much more interesting history within the Civil Rights movement and beyond as a “timeless tool of resistance” – check out this NPR piece from August 2018 that celebrated the song as a true “American Anthem.” The song, both a spiritual popular in the black churches and a folk song, became even more impactful when it was employed by Civil Rights protesters and activists who often personalized the lyrics to the situation or as a way to name the oppressors they were facing. Original Freedom Singer Rutha Mae Harris demonstrates the energy and power of the song as she leads a contemporary group in its verses at the Albany Civil Rights Institute:

“I Shall Not Be Moved,” The Harmonizing Four (1959)

This African American spiritual is based on Jeremiah 17:8—9, reflecting the idea that the singers’ faith in God will keep them strong and steadfast. The song became a popular resistance anthem during the Civil Rights movement, especially in relation to sit-ins; it was also used as a labor union protest song. As with “This Little Light of Mine,” the lyrics were sometimes altered to speak to the specific cause. Maya Angelou’s poetry collection I Shall Not Be Moved was named after the song.

“Why Am I Treated So Bad?,” The Staple Singers (1966)

The Staple Singers met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963 after a performance in Montgomery, Alabama. Roebuck “Pops” Staples, the band’s patriarch, said afterwards: “I really like this man’s message. And I think if he can preach it, we can sing it.” The group went on to write and perform many Civil Rights songs, including “March Up Freedom’s Highway” and “Washington We’re Watching You.” “Why Am I Treated So Bad” was written in reference to the treatment of the nine African American children at the forefront of integration in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. It became a particular favorite of King’s and was often sung before he spoke to a crowd.

“We Shall Overcome,” Mahalia Jackson (1963)

One of the most well-known songs of the Civil Rights movement, “We Shall Overcome” exemplifies the resilience, determination, and hope of the activist leaders and the everyday protesters alike. Its origins stretch back to the early 20th century with Charles Tindley’s “I Will Overcome.” Striking workers took up the song in the 1940s, later sharing it with Zilphia Horton at the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee, a center for social justice and activism. White and black activists came together at Highlander for workshops and planning during the Civil Rights movement, and some of that work involved learning songs and how to employ them in protests. Musical director Guy Carawan learned a version of the song from Pete Seeger; Carawan later introduced the song at the founding convention of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. (To hear Candie Carawan talk about the work at Highlander and the power of music during the Civil Rights movement, check out December 19’s archived On the Sunny Side show on Radio Bristol; her interview is towards the end of the show.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTyKJjj2oC0

Finally, did you know that there is a connection between Carter Family favorite “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?” and civil rights? The song has been sung by various activist musicians, including Jimmy Collier and the Movement Singers and Freedom Singer Bernice Johnson Reagon, and an audio history of the Civil Rights movement takes the song title on as its name.

Rene Rodgers is the Head Curator of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.

The Carter Sisters Radio Transcriptions with Chet Atkins

History Museum
September 25, 2023
Posted on by Guest Blogger

Ed Hagen is a volunteer gallery assistant and guest blogger at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. His recent blog posts include The Carter Family on the Border Radio and Will the Circle Be Unbroken. 

The original Carter family became nationally famous after being recorded in the 1927 Bristol sessions. A. P. Carter sang bass and harmonies on many songs, and very occasionally played guitar, but his principal contribution acted as a songcatcher, working to find, rewrite, and rearrange traditional songs. His wife Sara Dougherty Carter was the lead singer, co-wrote many songs, and performed playing either a guitar or autoharp. Sara’s cousin Maybelle Addington Carter, (who was married to A. P.’s brother Eck) also sang, but is remembered today as a guitar virtuoso (more on that later).

Their record sales crashed with the Great Depression of the 1930s, but an opportunity to perform on a radio station on the Mexican border revived the fortunes of the group. In those days, Mexico and the United States had a dispute over AM radio signals, and some Mexican stations were given many times the wattage of U.S. stations. That meant that the Carters’ border radio shows were heard all over the country, reviving their popularity. The border radio station XERA had a massive 500 kilowatts, and could broadcast across 48 states and into Canada. Visit my previous blog post, The Carter Family on the Border Radio, to learn more about that story. 

Carter Sisters and Maybelle September 1944. Left to right: Anita, June, Maybelle, and Helen

A new generation traveled with the Carters to the Mexican border. A.P. and Sara brought their two children, Janette and Joe. Maybelle and Eck brought their three daughters, Helen, June, and Anita. The children sang on the radio show (but not on records). The original group continued to perform for several years, but that ended when Sara moved to California in 1943.

Maybelle and her daughters continued to perform after the original Carter Family disbanded, performing as “the Carter Sisters and Maybelle Carter” on local radio stations in Richmond, Knoxville, and Springfield, Missouri. They became local celebrities in each city with big crowds as the stars of local “barn dance” radio shows, and they took their act to every town within range of the local radio signal. They were eventually signed by the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in 1950.

With that extended introduction, and with today being National Daughter’s Day, let’s take a look at the radio transcriptions of the Carter Sisters. Years ago, radio shows were often recorded on “transcription discs,” special high-quality recordings that would be distributed to radio station affiliates. These disks had pauses in them so that the affiliated stations could insert their own commercials. The disks were never intended to be distributed to the public, but thousands of them have survived, later archived to tape and digital recordings by “old time radio” enthusiasts. These include recordings of a dozen Carter Sisters shows from 1949 and 1950 (just before they were signed by the Grand Ole Opry) that can be listened to today via YouTube.

Carter Family circa 1939. Standing A. P., Janette, announcer Harry Steele, Sara, Maybelle. Seated Helen, Anita, June.

By the 1950’s, The Carter Sisters lineup included Helen, then age 22, playing the accordion and guitar; June, age 20, playing autoharp and ukulele; and Anita, age 16, playing upright bass. By this time June, a natural comedienne, introduced the songs and pitched sponsored products. Maybelle anchored the group playing her 1928 L5 guitar, which she bought with royalties from the 1927 Bristol Session recordings.  What makes these recordings extraordinary is that the costar of the show was a then-unknown guitar player, Chet Atkins. Think about it; here we have recordings of perhaps the two most influential country guitar players of all time playing together just before they joined the Grand Ole Opry.

Why were Maybelle and Chet influential? Let’s start with Maybelle, the inventor of the “Carter scratch.” She would play the melody of songs such as “Wildwood Flower” and “Keep on the Sunny Side” on the bass strings of the guitar using a thumb pick, while rhythmically brushing the other strings with her fingernails or finger picks. Essentially, she played rhythm and lead guitar at the same time. This was revolutionary, because country guitar players didn’t see the guitar as a lead instrument before that.

Maybelle, an extraordinary musician, mastered other styles of playing. She can be seen on videos playing rhythm guitar up and down the neck like a jazz guitarist on some songs, and Mexican-inspired fills on others. She also played something the Carter family called the “blues.” Years later, in a wonderful documentary, Mother Maybelle’s Carter Scratch, Helen explains that Maybelle learned to play the “blues” around 1930 from Leslie Riddle, an African-American man in Kingsport. Riddle taught Maybelle guitar, and therefore played a direct impact on the early styles of country music, but due to race and discrimination was never able to reach the success the Carter Family achieved. This guitar style featured an alternating bass played with the thumb, with the melody played on the top strings (the reverse of the Carter scratch, where the melody was played on the bottom strings). Most people today call this style “Travis picking” because it was popularized by Merle Travis.

Carter Sisters with Chet Atkins circa 1950

If you look closely at videos of Merle Travis playing this style, you’ll see that he used a thumb pick and just one finger for the melody. He got a miraculously full sound with this technique, but Chet Atkins, using all of his fingers, took Travis picking to another level. He went on to have a long and successful career, with best-selling instrumental hits like “Mr. Sandman” and “Yakety Axe”. 

The shows starts with thirty seconds of their theme song, the “Columbus Stockade Blues,” just enough for one chorus and a sizzling Chet Atkins guitar break. They close each show with “In the Pines.” In between, different sisters are featured vocals, and Chet played instrumentals (check out, for example, Peach Pickin’ Time on show 17 and Humoresque on show 39). He also sings a bit, and plays the fiddle, something he’s not known for. Check out his version of Shortnin’ Bread in show 17. 

Maybelle shows off her Carter Scratch on show 17, playing and singing the old Carter Family standard,  “You Will Miss Me When I’m Gone”. We sure do, but these old radio shows bring them all back to life.

 

 

 

The Carter Family on the Border Radio

History Museum
September 1, 2023
Posted on by Guest Blogger

By Ed Hagen,  volunteer gallery assistant and guest blogger at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.

Here at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, we celebrate the 1927 Bristol Sessions that launched the recording careers of a number of traditional music acts, notably Country Music Hall of Fame artists Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family.

Three members of the Carter Family pose for a promotion photo taken in black and white. Maybelle Carter is seated holding a guitar and facing the camera. She is wearing a unique coat with a wooden clasp at the collar. Seated beside her is Sara Carter - she is holding an auto harp instrument in her lap and pressing the keys. She is wearing the same outfit as Maybelle, a unique coat with a wooden clasp at the collar. Leaning behind them is A.P. Carter, he is wearing a dark suit jacket and tie.
The original Carter Family: Maybelle, A. P., and Sara Carter

The Carter Family is now considered to be the “First Family of Country Music” after gaining commercial success and stardom from their 1927 Bristol Sessions recordings. The original group was a trio made up of A. P. Carter, his wife Sara Dougherty Carter, and Sara’s cousin Maybelle Addington Carter, who was married to A. P.’s brother Ezra “Eck” Carter.  All three members of the Carter Family were born and raised in SouthWest, Virginia in an area called Poor Valley, Virginia (also known as Maces Springs) and were steeped in mountain musical traditions. Sara was the lead singer of the group – unusual for the time period – singing and playing guitar and autoharp, with Maybelle singing, playing lead guitar, and creating her own style of guitar playing known as the “Carter scratch”. A.P. Carter acted as songcatcher and band leader singing harmony vocals. In November 1927 and following months, the Victor record label released all six songs from the Carter Family’s Bristol Session recordings, and by the end of the 1930’s the group had sold over 300,000 records. As their popularity grew due to the success of the 1927 recordings, for years the group then recorded over 250 songs under the RCA Victor label, Decca and the American Record Corporation, had regular performances and saw great commercial success. But business slowed a bit during the 1930s as the Depression badly hurt consumer spending for things like record players and records. In addition to a collapsing economy, the Carters’ ability to tour was also hampered by the breakup of A. P. and Sara’s marriage, which was finalized in 1936, but the group still continued to record and perform together, even after Sara’s marriage to Coy Bays (A.P.’s cousin).

During the mid- late 1930’s, the Carter Family had a unique opportunity to take a job on the border of the U.S. and Mexico on the XERA radio station in Del Rio, Texas. The Consolidate Royal Chemical Corporation had contacted them with an offer to perform on their border radio station XERA daily. XERA was a 500 kilowatt border blaster, and the station’s location in Mexico had a powerful broadcasting signal with the ability to reach much of the U.S. with its broadcasting ability.  With the possibility of reaching a national audience through XERA’s station, the Carter’s took the gig, which led to their next surge in popularity.  This opportunity took them from their quiet country home in Southwest Virginia to living just across the Mexican border in Texas.

This is where this story gets odd: John Romulus Brinkley was the station manager at border radio station XERA and also the infamous “goat-gland doctor.” A “doctor” with specious credentials, Brinkley achieved fame and fortune in Kansas in the early days of radio by advertising surgical clinics where he performed xenotransplantations of goat testicles into humans. This supposed cure for male impotence was the foundation of a medical quackery empire worth millions of dollars. Chased out of Kansas and other states by outraged medical boards, he set up business across the border in Mexico, where the American limits on radio station power did not apply. Brinkley’s million-watt station XERA could be heard all the way to Canada and in 48 U.S. states. 

a black and white image of a women and a man looking directly at the camera performing surgery on a person laying on a table with a white sheet placed over their body. The women is wearing a surgical hat, and round glasses. The man is to her right and also wearing a surgical hat and round glasses, and is holding a surgical tool in his hand and gloves
“Doctor” John Romulus Brinkley performing a surgical procedure, date unknown. Image via LegendsofAmerica.com.

In 1938, Brinkley’s Mexican based border radio station XERA featured obscure hillbilly acts who played on the Good Neighbors Get Together show. That show aired for four hours every night, and again the following morning.  For six months out of the year in 1938 and 1939, the Carter Family and their children lived in Del Rio, Texas performing regular spots on the radio with the sessions being recorded. They were offered $75 a week –  serious money at the time. The Carters agreed and took the opportunity despite A. P. and Sara’s uncomfortable domestic situation.  During a radio segment in February of 1939, Sara dedicated a song, “I’m Thinking Tonight of My Blues Eyes” to Coy Bays who was living in California – shortly afterwards the two were married and Sara moved to California. Brinkley’s empire was eventually brought down by a series of lawsuits and a federal mail fraud prosecution. He died bankrupt and penniless in 1942.

At this point the next generation of Carters appear in our story: A. P. and Sara’s children Gladys, Janette, and Joe, and Eck and Maybelle’s children, Helen, June, and Anita. The Carters did not want to disrupt their children’s schooling, so only the youngest child, five-year-old Anita, went with them the first year. Anita was part of the act and, as you can imagine, the other children, living with relatives in Virginia and listening to XERA at night, got very jealous. In subsequent years all of the children made the trip and sang on the radio shows.  

A black and white image of three young girls, Anita, June and Helen Carter. The Girls are singing and dressed in the same overall dress outfit with bows at their necks. Helen is standing, singing and playing a guitar, June is in the middle touching an autoharp on a table in front of her, and Anita is smiling and singing.
Maybelle’s daughters left to right: Anita, June and Helen during a 1941 photoshoot with Life Magazine that was never published. Image from Life.com

The border radio shows were a great success. Young listeners to these radio programs included future country stars like Johnny Cash, Chet Atkins, Tom T. Hall, Waylon Jennings, and Buck Owens.

Each show was repeated the following morning. In those days, this was done by recording the evening show direct to “transcription disks”, a special phonograph record intended for, or recorded from, a radio broadcast. Nobody at the time thought much of the historical value of these disks. One story has it that they were sold to a Mexican contractor who used them as roofing tiles. Miraculously, seventeen disks with seventy-eight songs from the 1939 season were discovered in a San Antonio radio station in 1963 and were issued as LPs. The LPs are long out of print, but the recordings are available for purchase on the Internet in CD and mp3 formats, and are also posted on YouTube.  Take a listen to these recordings here via this YouTube playlist. 

The recordings are interesting alternate takes of previously recorded Carter Family songs, but also include previously unreleased songs. The border transcriptions are a bit shorter than the Carters’ commercial recordings on the Victor label, typically two minutes rather than three minutes long (perhaps shortened to save room for commercials), but the performances are flawless.

The original Carter Family disbanded in the 1940s, still performing together on occasions.  Maybelle Carter and her daughters began performing as a separate act as “Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters” featuring Anita, Helen and June and also performed under the groups original name “The Carter Family”, after 1960. The musical legacy of the Carter Family is one that continues to play an impact on musicians and fans of music to this day.

This blog post is a condensation of a colorful story told at much greater length in the XERA chapter of the excellent book about the Carter Family by Mark Zwonitzer and Charles Hirschberg, Will You Miss Me While I’m Gone. Another source was Ed Kahn, The Carter Family on border radio (University of Illinois Press 1996). 

Threads of History: Safeguarding The Birthplace of Country Music Quilt

Collections Exhibits Museum
August 21, 2023
Posted on by Julia Underkoffler

The Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s quilt

By Julia Underkoffler, Collection Specialist at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum

Since the opening of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in 2014, a quilt donated by the Bristol TN/VA Chapter of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America has been one of the first objects visitors have seen when entering the museum and heading up the stairs to the main exhibits.

A closeup image of the details of the BCM quilt. The image features a closeup of the colorful, detailed quilted squares.
A closeup of the details on the BCM quilt. Hand stitched along the pink inner border are names of each of the artists who recorded during the 1927 Bristol Sessions

The quilt, which took two years to complete, has always captivated and inspired museum visitors and guests with its beautiful and complex design. Many aspects central to the 1927 Bristol Sessions and time period were included in the design of the quilt – a marriage of color, concept, and skill. The center of the quilt features the words “Birthplace of Country Music” overlaid across a stunning tree. The inner sage green border framing the center design includes the musical notes and lyrics of the The Carter Family song “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” and the inner pink border carries the names of the participants of the 1927 Bristol Sessions – each name carefully stitched along the border of the quilt in a whimsical design. The blocks that frame the entire quilt commemorate quilt blocks from the 1800s to the present day. The quilt’s design is inspired by the Stoney Creek Collections, a published cross-stitch design company. The final piece evokes a powerful emotion of pride for regional heritage, accented by the roots strongly anchoring our history and the growth of the tree representing our future.

A large group of twenty four women standing on a staircase inside of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in front of the handmade quilt. The camera is facing to the right of the group of women and many of them are smiling.
Quilters from the local Bristol TN/VA Chapter of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America gather in front of the quilt they spend two years making on display at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. This photo was taken during the quilt dedication event in 2014 prior to the museum’s opening

The quilt ended up being much larger than the quilters group originally planned – a testament to their passion and creativity! – with the final measurements being an incredible eight and a half feet wide and almost ten feet long. On July 14, 2014 the guild members were invited to the museum for the dedication of the quilt and a preview of the new Birthplace of Country Music Museum. The quilt has since been a focal point of the museum lobby for nearly a decade. The creation of this quilt was a true labor of love and friendship in support of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and the twin cities of Bristol TN/VA.

One main part of my job as Collections Specialist is to care for and preserve the artifacts we have within our collection, and this role is arguably one of the most important jobs within the museum. My responsibility as caretaker of the museum’s collections, along with the documentation, photographing, and housing of all of the objects, is vital. In early March 2023, the quilt was taken down and placed in our collections storage for safekeeping and proper storage. There were many reasons for this decision, most importantly the preservation of the quilt itself. Institutions that have textiles in their collections must have a regular schedule to take the items off display or be sure that the textiles are located in a very dark area with special lighting to help prevent deterioration. Like any other textile objects, quilts are extremely fragile and sensitive to sunlight, and therefore that was one of the decision-making factors. Another issue that came into play was how our quilt was displayed – hanging from a specially made rod – and how that weight can affect the integrity of the quilt’s fabric, threads, and construction. In other words, it’s necessary to give textiles like our quilt time “to rest” by removing them from their hanging apparatus.

Two museum workers are leaning over multiple folding tables covered in white plastic and are carefully folding the birthplace of country music museum quilt. Julia Underkoffler is to the right of Rene Rodgers; both are smiling and wearing blue rubber gloves and handling the corners of the quilt. Julia is wearing a navy blue shirt and blue jeans and Rene is wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans. They are standing in a gallery room with museum display cases behind them.
Head Curator Dr. Rene Rodgers and Collections Specialist Julia Underkoffler prepping the BCM quilt for safe storage

When the quilt was taken down, it was put out on several tables in a secured area for a few days before one of BCM’s board members, a fabric specialist, helped us to roll it on a tube with acid-free tissue paper and 100% cotton sheets, held together with pieces of fabric in four places. The quilt is now safely stored in the museum’s vault resting in the correct conditions, specifically where the temperature stays around 70 degrees and the humidity around 50 percent and with no natural light exposure.

A large colorful quilt is shown hanging on a display on a wall inside of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. The image shows the quilt on display over a staircase during the daytime with dim spotlights highlighting the quilt.
A view of the quilt at the top of the stairs in the museum lobby at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum

The quilt will remain resting in storage for several years before it can return to public display. Being a staff favorite and knowing the love and care that was put into its creation, it was hard for us to take it down – and our repeat visitors have certainly missed it! – but we know that this is the course of action that will ensure its preservation for generations to come. In the meantime, our curatorial team pulled together a variety of wonderful images of the museum and its exhibits and programs over the last nine years that are now on display in the space left behind by the quilt – from a student gospel group’s performance and our Pick Along campers to the Jimmie Rodgers guitar on display and several 1927 Bristol Sessions relatives.

 

 

 

 

Quick-Witted Women: Comedy and Country Music

Museum Music & Songs
August 16, 2023
Posted on by Toni Doman

Left to right: Promotional images of Roni Stoneman as “Ida Lee” from Hee Haw from the Birthplace of Country Music Museum archives, Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon as Minnie Pearl sporting her signature hat and price tag courtesy of the Grand Ole Opry archives and Cynthia Mae Carver as Cousin Emmy courtesy of Georgia State University Digital Collections

Toni Doman-Vandyke is Grants Coordinator and Curatorial Specialist at the Birthplace of Country Music

August 16th is National Tell A Joke Day! Comedy and country music have a long and enduring history. From the extravagant days of vaudeville variety act performances in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to early barn dance radio programs of the 1930s, comedians and musicians were regularly featured.

A graphic image of a logo for the program Hee Haw. The graphic is a mule wearing a yellow straw hat, with droopy eyes and prominent large teeth. The mule is smiling and underneath of the mule to to right are the words “hee haw”
The logo for the television show Hee Haw, a variety show featuring country music and humor in the fictional “Kornfield Kounty”

Comedians brought their wit – be it silly, old-fashioned, and sometimes crude – to the stage to entertain audiences, oftentimes with humor focused on a rural country lifestyle. Some of the first comedians to be a part of the WSM’s Grand Ole Opry program in the 1930s included Sarie and Sally, a female comedic duo, and arguably the Opry’s most well-known comedian, Minnie Pearl, who later went on to be a cast member of Hee Haw, which ran for 25 seasons from 1969 until 1993. Humor can break down boundaries, engage and entertain people, and has the ability to connect listeners and audiences deeply through a shared experience of laughter. Comedy is deeply intertwined with the genres of and relating to country music, with many memorable funny and satirical songs by musicians through the years. Today contemporary artists still carry on the tradition of writing ironic, satirical and humorous songs.

I’m a huge fan of side-splitting country songs, with some of my earliest musical memories include “discovering” Ray Stevens and “The Mississippi Squirrel Revival“,and listening to every whimsical goofy tune by Roger Miller (personal favorite: “My Uncle Used to Love Me But She Died”). Upon doing research for this blog post, I found that most “funny country songs” are written and performed by male artists. However, female performers – despite historically facing challenges, such as the assumption that women aren’t funny and gender discrimination surrounding what might be appropriate for a female performer to sing or speak about on stage – have made their comic mark in the country genre too. Therefore, to celebrate National Tell a Joke Day, here’s a roundup of music and stories by some of my favorite funny female country music comedians and entertainers. From Cousin Emmy to Dolly Parton, women have been getting the last laugh for years!

Lulu Belle and Scotty – “Store Bought Teeth”
How are false teeth like stars?
They come out at night!

This novelty song about “store bought teeth” by Lulu Belle (born Myrtle Eleanor Cooper) and Scotty Wiseman features comical lyrics of problems that might just occur should you have fake teeth and you dig into the taffy candy (not advised). Lulu Belle and Scotty were known as “The Sweethearts of Country Music” first meeting one another on the WLS National Barn Dance in the mid 1930s. Together they both had successful careers in country music performing across the Midwest and even appeared in seven films.

“Well a feller called and said his name was Slim, and he wanted me to work for him
And I said boy I always aim to please
So I signed upon the dotted line and everything was just going fine
Then he led me to a 90 foot trapeze

Well he handed me some kites like them folks wear
And he pulled me way up in the air
Then hollered “hang on by your teeth and wait!”
And then it happened the things I feared
When the screaming stopped and the dust had cleared
The only thing hanging was my plate

Store bought teeth and taffy candy
Store bought teeth and taffy candy”

Cousin Emmy on Pete Seeger’s Rainbow Quest
What kind of music do balloons hate?
Pop.

Cynthia Mae Carver, known professionally as Cousin Emmy, began playing music as a young girl, mastering the fiddle, banjo, guitar, harmonica, ukulele, and musical saw, and even playing music on a rubber glove. She performed on local radio stations, and in 1935 she won the National Old Time Fiddlers’ Contest, which brought her better gigs and eventually larger radio markets in Knoxville, Tennessee, and St. Louis, Missouri. Very few recorded performances exist of Cousin Emmy, though this excerpt from the 1944 film “Swing in the Saddle” by Lew Landers features one of her stage performances during her career heyday. The video below features another rare recording from Pete Seeger’s Rainbow Quest, a program focused on folk music. At mark 7:30 of the video, you can catch Cousin Emmy playing “You Are My Sunshine” on the rubber glove!

Roni Stoneman – “Going Up Cripple Creek”
How can you tell the difference between all the banjo songs?
By their names.

Veronica “Roni” Stoneman is an accomplished banjo player and comedian, and she was a long-time cast member of Hee Haw from 1972 to 1990, known for playing the skillet-wielding “Ida Lee Nagger” character, as seen in this YouTube clip. She is the 14th child and youngest daughter of Ernest and Hattie Stoneman, old-time artists who recorded at the 1927 Bristol Sessions. With a career spanning a lifetime in music and stage performances, Roni is a true entertainer. This video of “Going Up Cripple Creek” features a performance by the Stoneman Family from 1967, with Roni playing the banjo with a stoic attitude and expression-less face, totally out of character (but still a hilarious performance) from her normal upbeat and energetic stage personality.

Mother Maybelle and The Carter Sisters – “Well I Guess I Told You Off”
Did you hear about the cow that tried to jump the fence and missed?
Utter disaster.

Some of my absolute favorite funny recordings feature Mother Maybelle Carter and The Carter Sisters with  tunes like “Root Hog Or Die”, “Too Old To Cut the Mustard” and “Well I Guess I Told You Off” when sisters Helen, June, and Anita each take turns singing lines of the chorus. Their amusing performances always make me laugh! 

The three daughters of Maybelle Carter began performing with her publicly as The Carter Sisters after the original Carter Family (A. P., Sara, and Maybelle) disbanded in 1943. The Carter Sisters appeared on numerous radio and television shows, performed live, and became regulars on the Grand Ole Opry. June, in particular, honed her comedic skills with the group, bringing a folksy charm and humor to many of their stage performances.

“If brains were thousand dollar bills
I’d tell you what we’d bet
You wouldn’t have enough
To buy a cup of coffee yet

Well, that ain’t the way I heared it
But here’s a thought for you
Your’s might as well be coffee grounds
For all the thinking they’ll do

Well I guess I told you off
That ought to hold you for a spell
Furthermore if you don’t like it
You can pack tonight, get out of sight
And go jump in the well!”

Dolly Parton – Songwriter and Storyteller
“I’m not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I’m not dumb…and I also know that I’m not blonde.” – Dolly Parton

Finally, this clip features legendary living musician and singer-songwriter Dolly Parton, highlighting her character and charisma through humor and storytelling – a regular hallmark of her shows and appearances. With a successful career spanning over 50 years, she released her first album Hello I’m Dolly, in February of 1967, which included her first hit, “Dumb Blonde,” a song that called out female stereotypes. Soon after she was invited to be the regular “girl singer” on The Porter Wagoner Show. At the six-minute mark in the video below, Dolly dives into a witty and humorous tale as a guest on The Tonight Show, cracking the entire audience up by the end of her tale. 

If you liked the female artists and their featured funny songs, check out these additional hilarious comedic country songs by female artists: 

Big Lon’s Vinyl Record Collecting Guidelines

Museum Personalities Radio
August 12, 2023
Posted on by Lonnie Salyer

 Lonnie “Big Lon” Salyer is a vinyl record historian focused on local independent studios and labels in Southern Appalachia. His show “Diggin’ With Big Lon” airs weekly on WBCM Radio Bristol. 

Hey ya’ll this is Big Lon checking in to make sure you are aware that August 12th is National Vinyl Record Day, a celebration of vinyl records, their history, and their significance in music and culture. If you’re interested in collecting vinyl records, here are some guidelines on what to collect, where to find them, and how to store and clean them. 

A selfie of Big Lon inside of the Radio Bristol studio space holding a record with that reads "The Birthplace of Country Music Bristol" on the front. Big Lon (Lonnie) is smiling and wears a fedora straw hat and studio headphones.
 Big Lon is a Radio Bristol DJ and avid vinyl record collector. 

First off there’s not a wrong answer on what to collect, it all depends on you and what makes you happy. Music provides both a connective social bond and an individual experience, and no two people have the same tastes or collective life journeys. Collecting vinyl records bridges both realms together in a tangible format you can hold in your hand. I’m still learning and certainly don’t know all the answers but here’s my two cents based on my collecting experience.

What should I collect Big Lon? I’d answer that with what do you like about music? What are your motivations when it comes to hobbies, investments, collecting, socializing?  I can break this down into five basic categories to consider. First, what’s your personal connection with music? A great way to start is collecting records that have sentimental value to you on a personal level. Do you remember a song from Saturday morning cartoons or a song that you used to listen to with your grandfather on the drive to and from fishing trips? It may be as simple as the music you and your friends liked back in college or middle school. Make a list of all those songs you connect with as a bucket list you’d like to have on vinyl. Secondly, what genres of music and artists do you like? You can focus on records from your favorite artists or specific genres like heavy metal or even eras such as 1950’s jazz. This will be a great starting point that can lead to discovering similar artists or labels that specialize in the genre of music you like. Maybe you want to get into vinyl for the collectible aspect because you heard of valuable vinyl records and want to invest in records in hopes of your collection growing in value. Limited editions and limited pressings can fulfill this option. Limited releases, colored vinyl, and special editions can be valuable and unique additions to your collection. A great example is this limited pressing orange vinyl 45rpm release by Blake Berglund, recorded at The Earnest Tube in Bristol and released on Armadillo Tail Records. 

A closeup of a bright orange colored vinyl 45rpm record. The text on the front of the record reads "armadillo tail recording company presents" and the bottom text reads "Blake Berglund" in larger lettering with smaller text. An armadillo with his head inside of a cowboy boot is also on the record.
Limited orange vinyl 45rpm record in Big Lon’s collection.

Befriending the owners and sales people at your local vinyl record shop can lead to insight on when new releases will hit the shelves or what unique items your local shop will be getting for Record Store Day, which occurs annually in April. A fourth option is focusing on classic iconic albums that have had a significant impact on music history. A simple google search of the greatest or essential vinyl records in a genre you are interested in or maybe the top 20 of multiple genres so you can build a diverse interesting collection to match your mood or the social crowd you are having over for dinner or a cup of coffee. A final category I recommend is obscure and rare records. Once you get a little experience in vinyl collecting this one tends to happen organically. Seek out records that are hard to find or have historical significance. It can be that local band that you remember from high school that put out one independent record or whatever inspires you. For me, the hard-to-find Kingsport label from the 78rpm era of the early 1950s is one I actively collect.

A graphic collage of records with the text "Kingsport" labeled clearly. In the middle of the collage is a promotional graphic image of Big Lon. He is wearing a fedora straw hat and holding two records.
Big Lon’s Kingsport Records collection featured on an airing of Diggin’ With Big Lon on Radio Bristol.

Big Lon, where do I find vinyl records? We’ve already touched on visiting your local record shops to get an understanding of what they offer. Local record stores often have a diverse selection of vinyl records, both new and used. These stores can be a great place to discover hidden gems and interact with fellow enthusiasts. Online marketplaces like eBay, Discogs, and Amazon offer a wide range of vinyl records for sale. You can find rare and collectible records from various sellers. I’m a member of several Facebook groups of like interested collectors who specialize in specific record genres or format sizes such as LPs (33rpm), 78rpm or 45rpm. Flea markets and thrift stores are essential. Get to know those in your community. These spots can be treasure troves for vinyl collectors. You might stumble upon valuable records at affordable prices. In addition, don’t overlook estate sales and garage sales; occasionally, people sell off their vinyl collections, often at reasonable prices. I’ve personally bought four records that are valued over $1,000 each for a buck or less at rummage sales and from flea market dealers. Another great avenue is music festivals and conventions. Sometimes music events and conventions include vinyl vendors or the artists will have a merchandise table selling vinyl records along with t-shirts and swag. As you get your bearings in the hobby and a focused list of what you are looking for, I recommend record fairs. These events gather multiple sellers in one place, offering a variety of records for sale. It’s a great opportunity to network and learn more about collecting. I host one for Fun Fest in Kingsport, TN to meet new vinyl enthusiasts and network to find records on my want list.

A promotional image of Big Lon's vinyl record expo. The poster features a colorful graphic that resembles 6 hot air balloons in a circle. The background is black with blue clouds and stars. The text reads "Big Lon's Vinyl Record Expo at the 2023 Kingsport Fun Fest July 16 Civic Auditorium 10-4. 1,000's of 33's, 45's, 78's and More!"
Big Lon’s Vinyl Record Expo, July 2023.

How do I store vinyl records Big Lon? The key is vertical storage. Heavy flat stacks of LP’s and especially 78rpm records can cause damage. Store records vertically to distribute weight which helps prevent warping. Use record crates, shelves, or dedicated record storage units. Keep records in protective inner sleeves to prevent scratches and dust buildup. Outer sleeves can safeguard the album covers. For loose 45rpm or 78rpm records, your local record shop most likely carries packaged sleeves you can utilize to protect the vinyl. Climate control is a major priority. Direct sunlight can warp and damage the vinyl and fade the covers. A cool, dry environment is ideal. Extreme temperature and humidity fluctuations can warp records or cause labels and covers to mildew. I’ve run across records with mold growing in the grooves from dirt and debris in wrong storage climates, like records found in musty basements.

OK Big Lon, what if I find the perfect record but it’s not been well cared for, what do I do? Here are some tips for cleaning records: first, handle records correctly by their edges and avoid touching the playing surface with your fingers. This keeps the oils from your skin off the vinyl to avoid the collection of dust and dirt. Sometimes what’s perceived as scratches or skips can be resolved with a gentle cleaning of the grooves. Use a carbon fiber brush to remove dust and debris from the surface before playing. A microfiber cloth can help clean the album cover. Invest in a good cleaning solution or cleaning system. I personally use Pristine Platters and a microfiber cloth for light cleanings and a system called Spin Clean for more challenging cleans. Both products as well as several similar products can be found online or at a local record shop. A static roller can work wonders to remove pops and crackles associated with static energy build up. Some collectors come up with their own system for cleaning records. Research any household cleaners before you use them to make sure they don’t contain chemicals that can damage your vinyl collection. Dry your records including the labels before putting them back in the sleeves and before putting them on your turntable.

Collecting vinyl records can be a rewarding and enjoyable hobby. Remember that each collector’s journey is unique, so feel free to tailor your collection to your personal preferences and interests.

Happy collecting!

Local & Regional Record Stores 

Resources

Example Record Collecting Facebook groups