Bill Monroe, the Father of Bluegrass Music

Bluegrass music is one of the few genres with a definitive beginning. Sure, there were influences from early country and western music, old-time mountain music and gospel, and folk music from across the British Isles, but one man created a band to coalesce all of these influences into a distinctive sound. When Bill Monroe formed the Blue Grass Boys, named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky, that sound was set in stone.

Bill Monroe played the mandolin as the lead instrument of the band, and various members over the years played bass, fiddles, guitars, banjos, and other traditional instruments. Each musician was typically a virtuoso in his own right, and many songs were fast-paced with intricate playing at breakneck speed. This was cranked to 11 when rhythm guitarists Lester Flatt and banjo innovator Earl Scruggs joined the band in 1945.

Bill's vocals were in the tenor range, and his singing style is influenced by the typical country and western fare of the era. His original songs were later re-recorded by others, including "Blue Moon of Kentucky," which may be better known today from the recording by Elvis Presley in 1954. Here's the original:

Flatt & Scruggs would eventually leave the band to form their own group, the Foggy Mountain Boys, but Bill's band would contintinue to be the proving grounds for people who would only later become successful in their own right too. Just another example of his status as the father of the genre, I suppose. Blue Grass Boys alumni include Mac Wiseman, Jimmy Martin, Del McCoury, Don Reno, Bill Keith, and Vassar Clements. Ricky Skaggs played on stage with Monroe at the tender age of 6. Monroe also played on occasion with Doc Watson, another musician who deserves an eventual post in his own right.

Bill Monroe died on September 9, 1996 after a lifetime of musical ups and downs. He saw success in the '40s and '50s, survived the onslaught of Rock 'n' Roll, and then led the folk music revival from the '60s until his death. He was a pioneer in a distinct new genre of American music. His songs continue to be re-recorded by musicians many generations removed from the time they were first heard. His former band members have formed their own bands to experiment within and build upon the style while fostering more and more new fans and musicians. So raise a glass in his memory, and explore the music of the man who made Bluegrass.