appalachian music Archives - Page 2 of 8

1927 Bristol Sessions –not the ‘Big Bang’ of country music? 1 of 2

The August 1927 Bristol Sessions are commonly acknowledged as the event that gave rise to the professional country musician/recording star.

West Virginian Dr. Patrick W. Gainer dedicated the balance of his life to a personal crusade to revitalize the region’s folk traditions.

“Coon Creek Girls was a very happy time. As far as I know, we were the first all-girl string band,” recalled band leader Lily May Ledford.

If you’re a lover of classical chamber music living in Asheville, you can thank the efforts of Jeanette & Joe Vanderwart for making it happen.

Hundreds of thousands of copies of shaped-note collections of religious songs were put into circulation between 1800 and the end of the Civil War.