BRISTOL, TENNESSEE

'Bristol' is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 24,821. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, just across the state line, which runs down the middle of State Street. Along with Kingsport, Tennessee and Johnson City, Tennessee the Bristols form the Tri-Cities. 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 the legendary mountain musician Uncle Charlie Osborne. Congress recognized Bristol as the Birthplace of Country Music in 1998. Bristol is the birthplace of Tennessee Ernie Ford. Bristol is the site of a NASCAR short track which routinely sells out more than 160,000 seats twice annually. Tickets to Bristol Motor Speedway and DukesFest, a two day festival showcasing the 1980s television show "Dukes of Hazzard" are highly sought-after. The city is also the home of King College.

Geography

Demographics

Culture

"Birthplace of Country Music"

Professional Sports

Media

Notable residents

Bristol, Tennessee Police Department

SWAT

K-9

Geography

Bristol is located at (36.569135, -82.197489).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 76.4 km² (29.5 mi²). 76.0 km² (29.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.44%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 24,821 people, 10,648 households, and 6,825 families residing in the city. The population density was 326.5/km² (845.8/mi²). There were 11,511 housing units at an average density of 151.4/km² (392.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.15% White, 2.97% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.68% of the population.
There were 10,648 households out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.1% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,039, and the median income for a family was $37,341. Males had a median income of $28,210 versus $21,173 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,535. About 11.5% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.4% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

"Birthplace of Country Music"

Bristol is considered to be the "Birthplace of Country Music" according to a resolution passed by the U.S. Congress in 1998 for its contributions to early country music recordings and influence.
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. The Carter Family got their start on July 31, 1927, when A.P. Carter and his family journeyed from Maces Springs, 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.David Sanjek, "All the Memories Money Can Buy: Marketing Authenticity and Manufacturing Authorship", p. 155–172 in Eric Weisbard, ed., ''This is Pop'', Harvard University Press, 2004. ISBN 0-674-01321-2 (cloth), ISBN 0-674-01344-1 (paper). p. 158.
Since 1994 the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance has promoted the city as a destination to learn about the history of Elvis and its role in the creation of an entire music genre. Currently, 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.

Professional Sports

Bristol is the location of Bristol Motor Speedway, a NASCAR Nextel Cup track. Chicago White Sox R-league minor league affiliate, Bristol White Sox

Media

Newspaper:

★ Bristol Herald Courier
Library:

★ Bristol Public Library

Notable residents

★ Clarence Ashley, old-time musician

★ Tennessee Ernie Ford, old-time musician (dec. 1991)

★ Dave Loggins, songwriter