Welcome back to where it all started: 87 years ago, RCA-Victor producer Ralph Peer sent out an open call for musicians across the Southern United States, ultimately recording 19 artists over 11 days in a make-shift studio in a hat warehouse in Bristol, Tennessee. These sessions launched the careers of Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family, and are widely considered to mark the birth of modern country music. To celebrate this historical moment, this week's American Department programming will feature the Bristol recordings and measure their influence across musical genres: tune in to Honky Tonkin' this Tuesday (10:00 - 11:30 PM) and the Moonshine Show this Sunday (10:00 AM - 12:00 PM) to hear more.