BRISTOL, Va. — Now in its 20th year, The Crooked Road began as a dream for Todd Christensen and the late Joe Wilson, who met one wintry day in 2003 at the Carter Fold in Maces Springs.
The fold was already established as a popular regional music attraction, started by the late Janette Carter in 1975 to promote the legacy of the Carter Family and the music of this region. Today the Fold remains a prominent destination along The Crooked Road, Virginia’s Heritage Music Trial.
It extends over 300 miles across western Virginia, with 10 primary destinations and 40 affiliates, promoting the region’s music and cultural tourism.
“A lot of people don’t know, but the first meeting was held at the Fold. Janette [Carter] cooked a big meal and they sat on the dance floor and dreamed up this vision for Southwest Virginia,” said Tyler Hughes, current executive director of The Crooked Road.
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His comments came Monday during a 20th anniversary celebration for The Crooked Road at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol Virginia.
“I think that’s a perfect example of Southwest Virginia — a community coming together to solve the problems,” he said.
Christensen, who attended the ceremony, vividly recalled that meeting.
“It was December 2003, and it snowed about six inches,” Christensen said. “Joe Wilson and I had talked about six months earlier about doing something with the music to put Southwest Virginia on the map. We decided there was no better place to do this than at the Fold.
“Twenty-six people showed up from all across the region — from Galax to Buchanan County — and nobody knew what but knew they wanted to do it. Later the local governments decided to put in money to support it. That was almost unheard of,” Christensen said.
Ultimately, the grassroots effort caught the attention of state lawmakers and then-Gov. Mark Warner, who signed legislation in 2004 dedicating the 333-mile route as Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail.
“There are a lot of things I have fond memories of while being governor. There is nothing I have a fonder memory of than the small role I was able to play in helping get this started,” Warner said during the ceremony.
“The notion that you are now up to ten venues — some having much longer history like Carter Fold — and others like Bristol Birthplace of Country Music or the Ralph Stanley Museum,” Warner said.
“What this community had, and has, is this incredible history of resilience. When we went through the decline of coal and the decline of traditional manufacturing … other communities might have given up. Southwest Virginia’s heart and determination, in so many ways, is identified in music and culture,” Warner said. “Would there have ever been a Ken Burns [documentary film] story on country and bluegrass music without The Crooked Road? Without the heart and soul that came from across Southwest Virginia?”
Warner also said music tourism is helping communities like Bristol to enjoy an economic renaissance.
“I remember 25 or so years ago, in Bristol, you could roll a bowling ball down the street. That is not the case anymore. This community is rocking on every level — even on the Tennessee side — which is hard for a Virginia politician to say,” Warner joked.
In addition to The Crooked Road anniversary, 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the Carter Fold, the tenth anniversary of BCM Museum in Bristol, the 20th anniversary of the Ralph Stanley Museum in Clintwood and Song of the Mountains series in Marion, as well as the 40th anniversary of the Floyd Country Store Jamboree.
