Today is the 100th birthday of the late Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass music. He took elements of old-time mountain music and, along with his band, the Bluegrass Boys, fashioned a whole new genre of music, that has become a real platform for many acoustic sounds and musicians over the years.
He took the name from his band and from the nickname, The Bluegrass State, of his home state of Kentucky.
Bluegrass music's popularity has ebbed and flowed since then (including what is now this month the 10th anniversary of the "O Brother Where Art Thou" soundtrack), but it has consistently given us talented musicians and both fun and spiritually moving songs.
Without his influence, would even know Allison Krauss? The Grascals? Nickel Creek? Ricky Skaggs (who played in his band) and Kentucky Thunder? Marty Stuart? The Soggy Bottom Boys? Martha White flour? Flatt and Scruggs? Jimmy Martin? Ralph Stanley? Reno and Smiley?
I realize that some of you may not know all of these, and there certainly has been some BAD bluegrass music through the years (like any other genre), but he helped pave the way for so many musicians today.
What a blessing.
Paul
(P.S.: Eddie Stubbs, Nashville radio's encyclopedia of country music history, will be broadcasting a special show tonight at 10:00 p.m. Central Time with historic recordings and interviews, for those who are interested, on the station that gave his music its introduction, WSM -- AM 650 by air, but also online. See my signature. You will learn something if you listen, I promise.)
He took the name from his band and from the nickname, The Bluegrass State, of his home state of Kentucky.
Bluegrass music's popularity has ebbed and flowed since then (including what is now this month the 10th anniversary of the "O Brother Where Art Thou" soundtrack), but it has consistently given us talented musicians and both fun and spiritually moving songs.
Without his influence, would even know Allison Krauss? The Grascals? Nickel Creek? Ricky Skaggs (who played in his band) and Kentucky Thunder? Marty Stuart? The Soggy Bottom Boys? Martha White flour? Flatt and Scruggs? Jimmy Martin? Ralph Stanley? Reno and Smiley?
I realize that some of you may not know all of these, and there certainly has been some BAD bluegrass music through the years (like any other genre), but he helped pave the way for so many musicians today.
What a blessing.
Paul
(P.S.: Eddie Stubbs, Nashville radio's encyclopedia of country music history, will be broadcasting a special show tonight at 10:00 p.m. Central Time with historic recordings and interviews, for those who are interested, on the station that gave his music its introduction, WSM -- AM 650 by air, but also online. See my signature. You will learn something if you listen, I promise.)
