Today a Commercially Successful, Internationally Appreciated Genre Of

18 had appeared on "hillbilty" records were from this region. On July 22, 1927, Peer and his two engineers set up a temporary studio on the Tennessee side of State Street in downtown Bristol; and on Monday, July 25, the now-famous "Bristol .. hillbilly music," a catch-all term for Sessions" began, showcasing a well much of the white folk and popular known local musician, Ernest music composed and performed in Stoneman (from the nearby Virginia the Southern United States during Blue Ridge, Stoneman had already Today a commercially successful, that era. Musicians from across the enjoyed several "hillbilly" hit internationally appreciated genre of South-including many from recordings). By their completion on American music, country music was Appalachia-traveled to those cities, Friday, August 5, the Bristol Sessions first commercially recorded in the for the experience of making records yielded 76 recorded performances by early 1920s. Since then, it has been and the possibility of financial 19 separate musical acts. Utilizing strongly influenced by traditional reward. The music recorded at these what was then state-of-the-art and popular music genres from studios, incorporating essentially the equipment, Peer and his engineers several regions of the United same repertoire then being performed ensured that the recordings exceeded States-by gospel and blues from on front porches and at other com all previous .. hillbilly" recordings in the South, cowboy music from the munity events in the South, sold far sound quality. Equally significant was West, and Tin Pan Alley music from more copies than record companies the high quality of the performances the North. Granted these influences, and producers had anticipated. that Peer coaxed from the Appalachian music and Appalachian Looking for additional musical talent musicians-including two renowned musicians have played a central role to make more "hillbilly" records, acts "discovered" in Bristol: Jimmie in the creation and evolution of producers transported equipment to Rodgers, of Meridian, Mississippi, country music. the countryside where the musicians and the Carter Family, from nearby Shortly after World War I, techno lived. While some of the recordings Maces Springs, Virginia. logical developments in sound sold reasonably well, their sound Although Peer was primarily recording led to the proliferation quality was often poor. interested in producing records that of commercially distributed disks, Two of the major record companies would sell, his meticulous attention which showcased opera, Tin Pan of the 1920s, Columbia and OKeh, to quality at Bristol produced Alley pop, marching band, and had successfully promoted commer definitive recordings of lasting merit. dance music. African-American cial recordings of "hillbilly music," Those recordings continue to audiences preferred recordings of while another important label, the influence musiCians around the blues music (generally referred to by Victor Talking Machine Company world-perhaps not many the record industry at the time as (later renamed RCA Victor Records), contemporary mainstream country .. race music"). The first recording was seeking to tap deeper into the musicians, but certainly numerous sessions of country music were new market. In 1927, Victor hired musicians in the contemporary conducted in the early 1920s, in producer Ralph Peer, who had been bluegrass, revivalist folk music, such cities as New York and Atlanta. responsible for the first commercially Americana, and rock music scenes. Country music was then known as successful "hillbilly" records (by Also remembered within the region Fiddlin' John Carson, made in that hosted them, the Bristol Atlanta and released on OKeh). Peer Sessions are celebrated by such identified an ideal place for making local organizations as the Birthplace some new recordings: Bristol, a small of Country Music Alliance in Bristol city straddling the Tennessee/ and at such performance venues as Virginia state line. He knew that the Carter Family Fold in nearby some of the finest musicians who Hiltons, Virginia. .

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