Country Music Artist - Bill Monroe

Founder of Bluegrass

Founder of Bluegrass Music and still it's finest exponent. Born in Rosine, Kentucky in 1911 to parents who were both accomplished fiddle players and sharp note singing.

His Uncle Pen taught Bill to play guitar, mandolin and fiddle and he quickly mastered these instruments to such a degree that Uncle Pen took him with his older brothers Charlie (guitar player) and Birch (fiddle) to accompany him at dances.

The three brothers soon formed their own string band and in 1927 they performed the first broadcast of music and brother harmonies.  At one stage the brothers joined WLS National Barn Dance touring show as dancers!

The break came in 1930 when they had a success with a recording of 'Kentucky Waltz' following this with 'Blue Grass Ramble'.  1936 saw Bill and Charlie become a brother act and they toured Iowa, Nebraska, North and South Carolina.  The brothers were a classic duet team singing sentimental songs in high tight harmonies, but unable to get along they parted company in 1938.  Bill formed his own group called the Kentuckians then changed the name to the Blue Grass Boys, in 1939 he joined the Grand Ole Opry. 

They quickly became one of the Opry's popular acts.  During the week Bill ran a travelling Tent Show which included such top artist as Sam and Kirk McGee, Uncle Dave Macon and DeFord Bailey, together with a gospel quartet and a Baseball Team to warn the crowds up.

Lester Flatt

Bill spent the early part of the 40's experimenting with his sound adding accordian's, banjo more solo parts and he pushed his voice to higher registers. By the mid 40's he had one of the most unique musical ensembles his mandolin was considered a virtuoso's delight, with Lester Flatt on guitar writing fine mountain music, the magic of Earl Scruggs on five string banjo, add to this Chubby Wise's fiddle play and you had a brand new sound that was taking America by storm.  It got it's name due to the Bluesy sound of the singing the Jazzy instrumentation and logically because Bill Monroe came from the Blue Grass state of Kentucky.

During the Honky Tonk period Blue grass went into a period of decline however Bill never compromised and today with the help of movies such as O Brother Where Art Thou' Bluegrass has got a whole new breed of pickers and singers taking it to new levels.

Bill Monroe was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1970.  1984 saw him open his own Bluegrass Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville and he was honoured by Ronald Reagan for his contribution to American Culture.  He stands along side Scott Joplin as one of the select few who have created a distinct form of American Music.