Bristol, Tennessee

Name: Bristol, Tennessee
Address: Bristol, TN

Everything Bristol is known for

6 songs mention this city 1 artist from here

RoadyGoat plays music like this when you drive through Bristol. It's free on iPhone, and full songs play through Apple Music.

Music in Bristol

Songs About Bristol

Girls From Bristol

Nicholas Jamerson

83%

"Girls From Bristol"

Song For Tennessee (Smoky Mountains Sessions)

Conner Smith

54%

"Or been up to Bristol, felt the air of Appalachia?"

REDNECKER

HARDY

50%

"Raising hell, praising Dale twelve in at Bristol"

San Berdoo Sunburn

Eagles of Death Metal

"crossed the Tennessee state border"

Same Old Train

Marty Stuart, Earl Scruggs, Clint Black, Joe Diffie, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Patty Loveless, Ricky Skaggs, Pam Tillis, Randy Travis, Travis Tritt & Dwight Yoakam

"by the old Virginia line"

Greenbrier Road

Colton Bowlin

"Growin' up on the state line of Kentucky and Tennessee"

Artists From Bristol

Tennessee Ernie Ford

country

Musical Heritage

Bristol: Birthplace of Country Music RoadyGoat

1927

Bristol straddles the Tennessee-Virginia line right down the middle of State Street, and it calls itself the birthplace of country music. In the summer of 1927, talent scout Ralph Peer set up a portable recording rig for the Victor Talking Machine Company in the Taylor-Christian Hat Company building on the Tennessee side and held two weeks of auditions. Those Bristol Sessions captured the first commercial recordings of the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, the moment historians call the 'big bang' of country music. The Birthplace of Country Music Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate at 101 Country Music Way (Cumberland Square) on the Virginia side, tells the whole story. A plaque marks the original studio site a few blocks away. Two weeks in 1927 changed American music for good.

History of Bristol

Bristol, TN RoadyGoat

Bristol, Tennessee has a rich history of producing talented individuals. Many know the name Tennessee Ernie Ford, a beloved actor and singer who hailed from this area. His smooth voice and charming personality made him a household name across the nation. From the wrestling ring to the drag stage, Bristol has also been home to some unforgettable personalities.

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Nickelsville Has Nothing to Do With Nickel RoadyGoat

1814

Nickelsville, tucked into Scott County in far southwest Virginia, sounds like it ought to come with a mining headframe and a vein of shiny metal. Nickel, the element, the stuff in your pocket change. Reasonable guess. Wrong guess. There's no nickel mine here and never was. The town carries a family name. James Nickels, Senior, settled this land with his wife Jane back in eighteen fourteen, and the place grew up around the Nickels clan. A brother, Walter Nickels, even ran the early post office. For a long stretch it was spelled Nickolsville, until a nineteen thirty-eight act of the Virginia assembly cleaned it up to the spelling we use now. So the metal in the name is pure coincidence. It's just a family that put down roots and never left.

17.4 mi away

Birthplace of Country Music Museum

1927

The Bristol Sessions of 1927, recorded by Ralph Peer for Victor Records, are considered the 'Big Bang' of country music, introducing the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers to the world.

Everything Near Bristol

25 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

Birthplace of Country Music Museum · Historical Marker
The Bristol Sessions of 1927, recorded by Ralph Peer for Victor Records, are considered the 'Big Bang' of country music, introducing the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers to the world.
Birthplace of Country Music Museum · Historical Marker
In late July 1927, a Victor Records talent scout named Ralph Peer set up a portable recording studio in a hat warehouse on State Street in Bristol and put an ad in the local paper inviting musicians to audition. What…
Bristol, TN
Bristol, Tennessee has a rich history of producing talented individuals. Many know the name Tennessee Ernie Ford, a beloved actor and singer who hailed from this area. His smooth voice and charming personality made him…
Bristol: Birthplace of Country Music · 0.3 mi
Bristol straddles the Tennessee-Virginia line right down the middle of State Street, and it calls itself the birthplace of country music. In the summer of 1927, talent scout Ralph Peer set up a portable recording rig…
Bristol Commercial Historic District · 0.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over for a minute, you're driving through the heart of Bristol's history! This district, right on the Virginia-Tennessee line, is packed with buildings that tell a story of boom and border life. From the late 1890s…
Bristol Virginia–Tennessee slogan sign · 0.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Check out that sign! It's more than just a pretty picture; it marks the spot where country music found its voice. In 1927, Victor Talking Machine Company talent scout Ralph Peer set up shop here, looking for local…
Bristol station (Virginia) · 0.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine a time when this very spot was buzzing with the energy of travelers arriving and departing, their lives intertwined by the iron horse. This is Bristol station, a vital link in the nation's rail network. Built in…
East Hill Cemetery (Tennessee and Virginia) · 1.0 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Right here, where Tennessee meets Virginia, lies hallowed ground, a silent testament to Bristol's intertwined past. East Hill Cemetery was established in 1857. It became a final resting place for Confederate soldiers…
Moonlite Theatre · 9.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Picture this: a warm summer night, the smell of popcorn in the air, and a giant screen flickering under the stars. That's the magic of the Moonlite Drive-In. Opened on June 9, 1949, the Moonlite's first feature was…
A. P. Carter Homeplace · 12.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over here for a minute. You're looking at the A.P. Carter Homeplace, the birthplace of a true legend in country music. Alvin Pleasant Delaney Carter, better known as A.P. Carter, was born in this very log cabin in…
Maybelle and Ezra Carter House · 13.1 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Right here, country music history was made! This is the Maybelle and Ezra Carter House, home to two figures central to the legendary Carter Family. Maybelle Addington married Ezra Carter, brother of A.P. Carter, the…
A. P. and Sara Carter House · 13.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over here for a minute; this humble house is where country music history was written. This is the A.P. and Sara Carter House, home to two members of the original Carter Family. Alvin Pleasant “A.P.” Delaney Carter…

Show all 25 nearby places

A. P. Carter Store · 13.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over here for a slice of Americana – this unassuming building was once owned by A.P. Carter of the legendary Carter Family.After leaving the music business, A.P. Carter, of the Carter Family, built this simple…
Abingdon Historic District · 14.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb
You're driving through a living history book! This area, the Abingdon Historic District, showcases over a hundred buildings that tell the story of this important Virginia town. From the late 1700s to the mid-1900s,…
Fulkerson–Hilton House · 14.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over here for a second; this old house has seen a lot of history. The Fulkerson–Hilton House was built way back in 1783! That's right, before the US Constitution was even ratified. Records and dendrochronology,…
Abingdon Bank · 14.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Take a look at that brick building – it's the old Abingdon Bank, and it's more than just a pretty face. Back in 1845, they built this place to house both the bank and the cashier's family. Can you imagine living right…
Kilgore Fort House · 16.7 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine living in constant fear of attack – that's why this fort house stands here. Built around 1790 by Reverend Robert Kilgore, this wasn't just a home, but a refuge. Back then, Native American raids were a real…
Elizabethton Covered Bridge · 17.2 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Drive through a piece of history on this 134-foot covered bridge, built in 1882 and still standing strong. Back in 1882, folks in Elizabethton needed a reliable way to cross the Doe River, connecting what's now 3rd…
Old Russell County Courthouse · 17.2 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Step back in time to a moment when justice was dispensed from a simple stone building. This unassuming spot was once the heart of Russell County's legal system.For nearly two decades, starting around 1799, this location…
Nickelsville Has Nothing to Do With Nickel · 17.4 mi
Nickelsville, tucked into Scott County in far southwest Virginia, sounds like it ought to come with a mining headframe and a vein of shiny metal. Nickel, the element, the stuff in your pocket change. Reasonable guess.…
Boone Dam · 17.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This massive dam not only generates power but also tames the South Fork Holston River, preventing devastating floods. Built in the early 1950s by the Tennessee Valley Authority, Boone Dam was part of a larger effort to…
Sycamore Shoals · 17.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This unassuming rocky riverbed holds a secret: it was once the gateway to a new frontier. In 1770, explorer James Robertson recognized the potential of the flatlands here at Sycamore Shoals, called the Watauga Old…
Fort Patrick Henry Dam · 19.0 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This dam isn't just holding back water; it's harnessing the river's power to light up homes and fuel industry! Fort Patrick Henry Dam, completed in the early 1950s, was built by the Tennessee Valley Authority, or TVA.…
Sabine Hill · 19.1 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Known by multiple names, this historic house offers a glimpse into the lives of early Tennessee settlers. Sabine Hill, also called Happy Valley, Watauga Point, and the General Nathaniel Taylor House, is a two-story…
Johnson City, TN · 19.9 mi · Wikipedia
This city's story is one of transformation, marked by pivotal moments. It began with early settlers like William Bean, who built his cabin nearby in 1769. The region saw conflict in the 1780s during the State of…

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