Bristol, Tennessee, United States

🇺🇸 Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundary between the two cities is also the state line, which runs along State Street in their common downtown district. Bristol is a principal city of the Kingsport−Bristol−Bristol, TN-VA metropolitan statistical area, which is a component of the Johnson City−Kingsport−Bristol, TN-VA combined statistical area − commonly known as the "Tri-Cities" region.

Bristol is probably best known for being the site of some of the first commercial recordings of country music, showcasing Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family, and later a favorite venue of mountain musician Uncle Charlie Osborne. The U.S. Congress recognised Bristol as the "Birthplace of Country Music" in 1998, and the Birthplace of Country Music Museum is located in Bristol. It also is the birthplace of Tennessee Ernie Ford.

Bristol is also the site of Bristol Motor Speedway, a NASCAR short track that is one of the best-known motorsports facilities in the country.

The world's fifth-largest coal producer, Contura Energy, is based in Bristol.

History Before 1852, the land where Bristol is located was owned by Reverend James King. His son-in-law, Joseph R. Anderson of Blountville, Tennessee, bought 100 acres (40 ha) of the plantation and named it Bristol. The G.W. Blackley House, one of the oldest houses in Bristol, was constructed in 1869.

"Birthplace of Country Music" The U.S. Congress declared Bristol to be the "Birthplace of Country Music", according to a resolution passed in 1998, recognizing its contributions to early country music recordings and influence, and the Birthplace of Country Music Museum is located in Bristol.

In 1927, record producer Ralph Peer of Victor Records began recording local musicians in Bristol, to attempt to capture the local sound of traditional "folk" music of the region. One of these local sounds was created by the Carter Family, who got their start on July 31, 1927, when A.P. Carter and his family journeyed from Maces Spring, Virginia, to Bristol to audition for Ralph Peer, who was seeking new talent for the relatively embryonic recording industry. They received $50 for each song they recorded. That same visit by Peer to Bristol also resulted in the first recordings by Jimmie Rodgers.

Since 1994, the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance has promoted the city as a destination to learn about country music and the city's role in the creation of an entire music genre. The alliance is organizing the building of a new Cultural Heritage Center to help educate the public about the history of country music in the region. On August 1, 2014, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum opened in Bristol, Virginia to commemorate the historical significance of the Bristol sessions. The museum features a 24,000-ft building that houses core exhibits, space for special exhibits, a performance theater, and a radio station.

Every year, during the third weekend in September, a music festival called the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion takes place. The festival is held downtown, where Tennessee and Virginia meet, and it celebrates Bristol's heritage as the birthplace of country music.

Geography Bristol is located in the north-east corner of Tennessee, 20.95 miles east of Kingsport, Tennessee, 21.51 miles north-east of Johnson City, Tennessee, 38.74 miles north-west of Boone, North Carolina, 105.96 miles north-east of Knoxville, Tennessee, and 132.61 miles south-west of Roanoke, Virginia.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.5 square miles (76.4 km²), of which 29.4 square miles (76.1 km²) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) (0.44%) is covered by water.

Sport Bristol is the location of Bristol Motor Speedway, a motorsports venue that hosts several NASCAR events. It is also home to Bristol Dragway, which hosts the Ford Thunder Valley Nationals, an NHRA national event.

A Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Minor League Baseball affiliate, the Bristol Pirates, played its home games at DeVault Memorial Stadium in Bristol, Virginia, from 1969 to 2020. In conjunction with a contraction of Minor League Baseball beginning with the 2021 season, the Appalachian League, in which the Pirates played, was reorganized as a collegiate summer baseball league, and the Pirates were replaced by a new franchise in the revamped league designed for rising college freshman and sophomores.

Media: Television • WCYB-TV (NBC Channel 5.1) • WCYB-DT2 (CW Channel 5.2) • WEMT-TV (FOX Channel 39.1).

Note-WEMT is licensed to Greeneville, Tennessee, but co-located with sister station WCYB-TV.

Media: Radio • WZAP (AM 690 kHz) Christian • WFHG (FM 92.9 MHz) SuperTalk WFHG • WWTB (AM 980 kHz) The Sports Fox • WXBQ (FM 96.9 MHz) Twenty-four Carrot Country • WAEZ (FM 94.9 MHz) Electric 94.9 • WEXX (FM 99.3 MHz) The X 99.3 • WTFM (FM 98.5 MHz) WTFM 98.5 • WBCM-LP (FM 100.1 MHz) WBCM Radio Bristol

Media: Newspapers • Bristol Herald Courier

Education: Universities • King University • Graham Bible College.

Police department The Bristol Police Department is the municipal law enforcement agency for the city. The BPD has 69 sworn officers and 25 civilian support staff. It also makes use of citizen volunteers as an auxiliary staff that saves the department over $100,000 annually.