Mountain Music Museum Plans Reopening Celebration In January

The Mountain Music Museum is gearing up to reopen at its new home at 316 Broad Street in Kingsport, Tennessee, with a celebration featuring special guests and new exhibits on Jan. 27. The event will include a live performance by Grammy-winner Ralph Stanley II & the Clinch Mountain Boys. Other performers throughout the day will include Tim White, Kaitlyn Baker, and more. Admission to the museum will be free during the grand reopening on Jan. 27; admission is normally $5.

The Mountain Music Museum in Kingsport celebrates the evolution of country music by reaching farther back in history, to when immigrants settled in the surrounding mountains in the 1800s, bringing their Irish, Scottish and African rhythms with them.

“Our region is rich in the traditions of mountain music,” said Kingsport Mayor John Clark. “From bluegrass to gospel to old time and classic country music, we are excited to see them on display in Downtown Kingsport. The Carter Fold is just across the ridge on the ‘sunny side’ of Clinch Mountain in Hiltons, Virginia, and their instruments were purchased right here on Broad Street. The Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville has the lyrics of the Carter Family song ‘Will the Circle Be Unbroken’ etched on its walls. Today, country music a multi-billion industry. That started here. I’m excited to see it come full circle.”

One new exhibit at the museum will be a collection of memorabilia related to the late Dr. Ralph Stanley, who lived in McClure, Virginia, about 60 miles north of Kingsport. In addition to historical exhibits, the Mountain Music Museum will also features live music on a regular basis, most notably “The Pickin’ Porch,” a weekly show hosted by Rick Dollar. Performances by national artists will take place at the Kingsport Renaissance Arts Center, while emerging artists will perform at the museum. Additionally, the museum is planning an outdoor concert series called Bluegrass on Broad. Details will be announced at a later date.