ETSU celebrated the musical legacy of one of Johnson City’s most influential record labels during Tuesday’s “Rich-R-Tone Records: Listening Session and Presentation” in the Sherrod Library’s Quillen Gallery.
The event, hosted by the Archives of Appalachia, honored the release of a 12-CD, 317-track box set chronicling the complete works of Rich-R-Tone Records and its subsidiary, Folk Star Records. Founded in 1946 by James Hobart Stanton, Rich-R-Tone was the first record company based in East Tennessee and became a pioneering force in bluegrass and country music, releasing early recordings by the Stanley Brothers and other influential artists.
Ted Olson, professor of Appalachian studies at ETSU, led the hourlong event, offering historical context and a guided listening experience for select tracks. Olson, who co-authored the set’s 148-page hardcover companion book with Matteo Ringressi, discussed his years-long effort to locate, digitize and remaster hundreds of original 78 RPM recordings for Bear Family Records’ deluxe release.
“This label is a real point of pride for Johnson City, and it should be,” said Jeremy Smith, director of the Archives of Appalachia. “For the first time, over 300 of these tracks are available digitally in one thoroughly researched and remastered package.”
Guests enjoyed refreshments while listening to rare bluegrass recordings that had not been publicly available for decades. The event celebrated not only the preservation of East Tennessee’s musical heritage but also the scholarly dedication behind ensuring these sounds of postwar Appalachia are heard by new generations.
For more information, visit etsu.edu/cas/cass/archives/.
