Bristol, VA-TN (August 5, 2005) By resolution, the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance (BCMA) board of directors has asked Fred McClellan to return to the board as its president.

McClellan served as the first president of the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance from 1994 to 1998, and continued to serve as a board member until 2003. He was a member of the Smithsonian Curatorial Committee and served as the co-chairman of the 2003 Smithsonian Folklife Festival - Appalachian Foodways. Since 1986, McClellan has also served as president of Hillbilly Foods, located in Bristol, Virginia.

Past president, Greg Wallace remarked that this appointment should bring order and structure, as the BCMA begins the journey to its eventual home in downtown Bristol. He added that he looks forward to focusing his attention on the Cultural Heritage Center and the potential impact that completion of this project offers.

McClellan complimented the success of this board, under the leadership of Greg Wallace, for securing the downtown Cultural Heritage Center site and fully funding Phase 1 of planning, which will be completed by this years end.

With enthusiasm, McClellan insists that these are exciting times for the BCMA, the cities of Bristol, and our heritage. He believes we must unite to make it our reality. “I look forward to broadening the base of support and spreading the opportunity to extend ownership of our mission throughout our community,” McClellan stated.

The Birthplace of Country Music Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to telling the story of the living musical heritage of the Appalachian mountains and the cultural traditions that sustain it. The BCMA is funded in part by grants from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the Tennessee Arts Commission.