May 12, 2026 | 7 pm @ Birthplace of Country Music Museum
BRISTOL, TN-VA- The Birthplace of Country Music invites the public to its May Speaker Session with Dom Flemons, "The American Songster," held virtually on Zoom Tuesday, May 12 at 7 p.m.
Flemons has transcribed over a dozen hours worth of audio recordings on Lesley Riddle, and during this program, he will share his insights on a pivotal figure whose influence fundamentally shaped the sound of early country music. As a Black musician who traveled with A.P. Carter, Riddle was instrumental in collecting traditional Appalachian songs and teaching the Carter Family his unique guitar picking techniques and blues-influenced arrangements.
Flemons illustrates how Riddle’s contributions bridged the gap between African American blues and American folk music, proving that the roots of country music are deeply multicultural. By centering Riddle’s legacy, Flemons restores a crucial, often overlooked chapter of American music history that underscores the essential role of Black artistry in defining the genre.
Flemonsreceived an Honorary Doctorate from Northern Arizona University, and he’s a Grammy-Award Winner with four Grammy nominations, two-time EmmtNominee, International Acoustic Music Award Grand Prize Winner, and was a United States Artists Fellow. Dom is a musician based in the Chicago area, and he is famously known as “The American Songster” since his repertoire covers over 100 years of American roots music, including country, folk, bluegrass, Americanaand the blues.
Flemons is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music scholar, historian, actor, narrator, host, slam poet, record collector, podcaster, and the creator, host, and producer of theAmerican Songster Radio Showon WSM in Nashville. He is considered an expert player on the banjo, guitar, harmonica, jug, percussion, quills, fifeand rhythm bones. He is the co-founder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops and the founder of American Songster Productions. He is serving on the Board of Directors at the Steve Martin Banjo Prize, Folk Alliance Internationaland Music Maker Relief Foundation, and was elected as a Governor on the Board of Directors for the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the Recording Academy.
For more information about this and other upcoming programs, visitBirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org/main-events.