Song of the Mountains recognized as official affiliate of Crooked Road

By: David Mcgee | Bristol Herald Courier
Published: July 29, 2011

MARION, Va. --

A nationally televised traditional music program is the latest venue affiliated with The Crooked Road – Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail.

Song of the Mountains, which is recorded each month before a live audience at the Lincoln Theatre in Marion, Va., and distributed to PBS stations nationwide, was recognized Thursday as an official affiliate of the state-supported regional tourism program. Now in its seventh year, Song of the Mountains showcases bluegrass, old-time, Celtic and Americana music indigenous to Appalachia.

“They’ve had a huge impact of presenting the music of this region to the world,” Jack Hinshelwood, executive director of The Crooked Road, said of Song of the Mountains. “All of our affiliated venues and festivals represent the gold standard for presenting the heritage music of this region. They all have a regular commitment to high quality, regular programming.”

Hinshelwood said that regularity – presenting good musical performances when they’re scheduled -- is important for visitors traveling to events.

“All of our affiliated venues and festivals are also very family-oriented and family-friendly,” Hinshelwood said.

Stretching some 300 miles from the Breaks Interstate Park to Rocky Mount in Franklin County, Va., The Crooked Road promotes economic development through cultural heritage tourism. It has eight major venues – including the Carter Fold in Scott County and the Ralph Stanley Museum in Clintwood – and almost 50 affiliated venues and festivals, including Bristol’s Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival and the weekly Pickin’ Porch show at the Bristol Mall.

As an affiliate, Song of the Mountains will receive recognition in publicity, promotional materials and through the website.

“I think it’s great,” program host Tim White said. “We’ve been doing this for a long time and I believe we reach a larger amount of people than they do, but they’re reaching people we don’t,” he said of The Crooked Road.

Now in its seventh year, the program is recorded at the 500-seat Lincoln Theatre, a fully restored art deco-style venue listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Shows are produced by UNC-TV, the University of North Carolina’s PBS TV station.

“We’re seen on about 190 PBS outlets around the country through UNC-TV and that’s about 147 million people a year,” White said. “It’s a big production that I don’t think you could afford to do in New York or Los Angeles. That’s another thing that’s great about a show that’s produced in Southwestern Virginia.”

Past performers on the show include Ralph Stanley, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Jesse McReynolds, Doc Watson, the Grascals, Rhonda Vincent, Kathy Mattea and Tom T. Hall.

Hinshelwood is scheduled to present the Crooked Road affiliate banner Aug. 6, when bluegrass super group Blue Highway headlines the show.