Bristol’s biggest claim to fame happened in 1927. Bristol Sessions came about when Ralph Peer, a producer for Victor Talking Machine Company, later RCA Victor, wanted to record “Hillbilly music.” Ernest Stoneman, an Appalachian musician who with his wife, Hattie, was already recording for Victor, suggested Bristol. At the sessions, Peer recorded 76 songs by 19 musicians or groups. In 2002, The Library of Congress National Recording Registry ranked the 1927 Bristol Sessions among the 50 most significant sound recording events of all time and named Bristol “The Birthplace of Country Music.”

Today’s podcast was written by Kathleen Walls and presented by Perry Mack

About an hour east of the i95 from Richmond or two hours southeast of the acclaimed Civil War attractions in Fredericksburg, Mathews County and the county seat of the same name serve as a winter destination in this region of Virginia.

Mathews County in Virginia’s Middle Peninsula is plotted with a number of rural communities with access to two RV parks, scenic downtown districts, waterways, boat tours, and numerous trails. Of course, you can always sink your teeth into some of the best oysters in the state anytime. It’s especially worth a trip here during peak harvest season between October and March or any of the themed seafood festivals.

The American state of New Mexico is known as ‘The Land of Enchantment.’ Its captivating culture blends indigenous, Hispanic and American cultures into being American. New Mexico’s future was established with the Viceroyality of New Spain [Nuevo Espana] in 1535, Mexico in 1821, and the United States in 1848. To understand New Mexico, five major attractions make this state enchanting for visitors.