2019-09-01 Emmy Magazine

90 EMMY

I

NTHE SUMMEROF1927,IN AWAREHOUSE IN RURALBRISTOL,

TENNESSEE,RALPH PEER—ATALENT SCOUTANDPRODUCER

FOR THE VICTOR TALKING MACHINE COMPANY — RECORDED

PERFORMANCESBYNINETEENMUSICALACTS.TWOWENTONTOBE

SUPERSTARS—JIMMIERODGERSANDTHECARTERFAMILY.

Together,theseactsembodiedtheessentialdichotomyofcountry

music,anartformexploredbynolessthandocumentarianKenBurnsina

newlimitedseriescomingtoPBSSeptember15.Inthefirstofeightepisodes,

Burns focuseson thegroundbreakingrecordings,knownastheBristol

Sessions,thatPeeroversawinthetownnowconsideredthebirthplaceof

countrymusic.

“JimmieRodgersrepresentedtheramblingsideofcountrymusic,the

desiretohittheroad,leaveresponsibilitiesbehind,gooutandexperiencethe

world,”countrymusichistorianBillC.Maloneobservesintheseries.“TheCarter

Family,ontheotherhand,embodiedthesanctityofthehomeandofthefamily

—particularly‘Mother’[MaybelleCarter],whokeptthehometogether.

“Andthosehavebeentwoimportantimpulsesincountrymusicever

since—they’resortofreversesidesofthesamecoin,”Malonesays.“They’re

fromtwodifferentpolarities,andyetthisis‘theBigBangofcountrymusic.’”

Thisduality—andothers—haverecurredtimeandagainincountry

music’snearlyhundred-yearhistory.RayBenson,leaderofthecontemporary

westernswingband Asleepatthe Wheel,drawsa similarcomparison

betweentwoofcountry’smainartistsofthe1930s.Intheseries,herecounts

thatRoyAcuffoncetoldhim,“‘ThedifferencebetweenmeandBobWillswas

thatI playedschoolhouses,churches,campmeetings—andBobplayed

dances.’Itwasa culturaldifference.”

Bristol, Tennessee, circa 1927

COURTESY OF BRISTOL HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION