\"Gospel According To Bristol: The Life, Ministry, and Ministry of Ernest Phipps\" is the first biographical and critical writing on the Kentucky Holiness preacher and Bristol Sessions recording artist. With information gathered from interviews with his surviving family members, court documents, and public records, this thesis paints the most complete picture of the life of Ernest Phipps (1900-1963) possible. Phipps is known for the company he keeps in the line-up of mountain musicians, including Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family, that came to Bristol, Tennessee to record for Ralph Peer in 1927, but Phipps's music is discussed here on its own merit as a forerunner of modern Southern Gospel music. This thesis also argues that a 1930 Vocalion record by the Kentucky Holiness Singers is the last record Ernest Phipps made.
","abstract_html":"<p>"Gospel According To Bristol: The Life, Ministry, and Ministry of Ernest Phipps" is the first biographical and critical writing on the Kentucky Holiness preacher and Bristol Sessions recording artist. With information gathered from interviews with his surviving family members, court documents, and public records, this thesis paints the most complete picture of the life of Ernest Phipps (1900-1963) possible. Phipps is known for the company he keeps in the line-up of mountain musicians, including Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family, that came to Bristol, Tennessee to record for Ralph Peer in 1927, but Phipps's music is discussed here on its own merit as a forerunner of modern Southern Gospel music. This thesis also argues that a 1930 Vocalion record by the Kentucky Holiness Singers is the last record Ernest Phipps made.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Story, Brandon H."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MA (Master of Arts)","degree_level":"Thesis - restricted","degree_discipline":"English","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2003,"date_issued":"2003-05-03T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2003-05-03T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:19:28Z","subjects":["Bristol Sessions","country music history","Southern Gospel","Arts and Humanities","English Language and Literature"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/766","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Story, Brandon H."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2003-05-03T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["English"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - restricted"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MA (Master of Arts)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Bristol Sessions","country music history","Southern Gospel","Arts and Humanities","English Language and Literature"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright by the authors."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/1923/viewcontent/StoryB042203d.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/766"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["\"Gospel According To Bristol: The Life, Ministry, and Ministry of Ernest Phipps\" is the first biographical and critical writing on the Kentucky Holiness preacher and Bristol Sessions recording artist. With information gathered from interviews with his surviving family members, court documents, and public records, this thesis paints the most complete picture of the life of Ernest Phipps (1900-1963) possible. Phipps is known for the company he keeps in the line-up of mountain musicians, including Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family, that came to Bristol, Tennessee to record for Ralph Peer in 1927, but Phipps's music is discussed here on its own merit as a forerunner of modern Southern Gospel music. This thesis also argues that a 1930 Vocalion record by the Kentucky Holiness Singers is the last record Ernest Phipps made.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Gospel According to Bristol: The Life, Music, and Ministry of Ernest Phipps."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Story, Brandon H."],"dc:date.issued":["2003-05-03T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["\"Gospel According To Bristol: The Life, Ministry, and Ministry of Ernest Phipps\" is the first biographical and critical writing on the Kentucky Holiness preacher and Bristol Sessions recording artist. With information gathered from interviews with his surviving family members, court documents, and public records, this thesis paints the most complete picture of the life of Ernest Phipps (1900-1963) possible. Phipps is known for the company he keeps in the line-up of mountain musicians, including Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family, that came to Bristol, Tennessee to record for Ralph Peer in 1927, but Phipps's music is discussed here on its own merit as a forerunner of modern Southern Gospel music. This thesis also argues that a 1930 Vocalion record by the Kentucky Holiness Singers is the last record Ernest Phipps made.
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