Southwest Virginia’s surprising country music history

Country music has deep roots in Southwest Virginia. Here’s what you need to know about its history.

When most people think of country music, they think of Nashville. That city is home to numerous renowned venues and has helped launch the careers of prominent country artists over the past several decades. And while we’re all for celebrating Nashville, we wanted to shine a spotlight on some of the ways Southwest Virginia is as closely connected to country music history.

The Crooked Road, the Floyd Country Store, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, and the Carter Family Fold are just a few highlights among many. Learn more about each spot.

The Crooked Road

In an article written for National Geographic in 2024, writer Mike MacEacheran referred to Southwest Virginia as “the birthplace of country music.” At the center of that statement is The Crooked Road—Virginia’s heritage music trail—which spans over 300 miles across the southwest region of the state. Around 60 music venues are located throughout the trail, where you can almost always catch an event or a scheduled festival.

The places we’re about to go over are easily accessible from The Crooked Road. The trail takes you through four cities and 54 towns, and it stretches through 19 different Virginia counties. At each stop along the way, you’ll learn more about the history of bluegrass and banjos, fiddles and mountain ballads. You’ll be able to slot together every collected piece you find in the region to create one clear picture of how significant strides in country music were made right here in the Old Dominion State.

For a complete list of 50 different things you can do and see along The Crooked Road, click here.

The Floyd Country Store 

One of the most important stops on the Crooked Road is the Floyd Country Store, which has been around since 1909. There’s a stage at the back of the store where weekly performances, dances, and jamborees are held for locals and visitors. There are Americana Afternoons and Tuesday Tunes scheduled on the store’s website, and there’s also a cafe and soda fountain on site.

According to The Floyd Country Store’s history tab on their site, “In 2007, with the establishment of The Crooked Road, Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail, The Floyd Country Store became part of the mission to honor and preserve the extraordinary music of the Appalachian region.” Since then, their reputation has grown as a place where you can come together to listen to music, sip an old-fashioned malt, and listen to people tell tales about the history of Appalachia and its unique music scene.

Blue Ridge Music Center

The Blue Ridge Music Center is an outdoor amphitheater and Appalachian music museum located in Galax. In Mike MacEacheran’s piece for National Geographic, he describes in detail how gospel songs from the mid-18th century were transformed, bit by bit, by an array of influences in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

German settlers in the area sang traditional congregational songs while playing “the scheitholt, the predecessor to the Appalachian dulcimer, a folk instrument with metal strings.” Irish and Scottish settlers introduced religious songs and ballads into this mix, while enslaved Africans played “banjo-like lutes such as the akonting and ngoni.” It was this melting pot of musical instruments and singing that ultimately created the Appalachian, bluegrass, and country music styles we’re most familiar with today.

At The Blue Ridge Music Center, you can learn more about how these different influences melded together over the last two centuries, and you can attend a wealth of concerts and events while you’re there.

The Birthplace of Country Music Museum 

The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is located in Bristol TN-VA, which is known as “the town that country music built.” Legendary singer-songwriter Hank Williams ate his last meal in Bristol in 1952, and the first-ever country music tunes were recorded there in 1927 during the Bristol Sessions. Those are just two anecdotes among dozens (and dozens) that you can hear, read about, and discover while you walk through the exhibits at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.

Individual tickets and guided tours can be purchased and booked in advance at this link. Like other stops along the Crooked Road, the museum hosts a variety of events, concerts, festivals, and performances to honor and celebrate the area’s rich history, while also highlighting emerging artists in the country and bluegrass genres. You can learn more about the 2025 Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Festival, taking place in September, here.

The Carter Family Fold

Southwest Virginia has been home to countless Crooked Road Legends, and the first of those to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Tennessee was the Carter Family. The original group was composed of A.P. Carter and his wife, Sara, along with Sara’s sister, Maybelle. In 1943, A.P. and Sara formed a new group with their children, Joe and Janette, and Maybelle—who married A.P.’s brother, Ezra—formed her own group with her children, Anita, Helen, and June.

June Carter eventually struck out on by herself in 1950 and became legendary in her own right—doubly so after marrying country music icon Johnny Cash. You can learn more about her rise to fame, and the Carter Family’s history, at the Carter Family Fold located in Hiltons. It was established in 1974 by Janette Carter as a way to preserve and honor her family’s legacy and has since become a beloved Crooked Road location.

In addition to teaching visitors about the Carter Family and their contributions to country music history, the Fold hosts free and ticketed shows. It’s important to note that certain rules are in place that visitors are expected to follow while visiting the Fold. Tobacco and alcohol are not permitted, and tickets can only be purchased in person with cash. You can pay by card if you buy your tickets in advance of your trip. For additional details, click here.