Bill Monroe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bill Monroe
Monroe (left) and his brother Charlie in 1936
Background information
Birth name	William Smith Monroe
Born	(1911-09-13)September 13, 1911 Rosine, Kentucky, U.S.
Origin	Kentucky, U.S.
Died	September 9, 1996(1996-09-09) (aged 84) Springfield, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres	Bluegrass gospel country folk
Instruments	Mandolin, guitar
Years active	1927–1996
Labels	Bluebird Columbia Decca MCA RCA Victor
Associated acts	The Blue Grass Boys Birch Monroe Carter Stanley Earl Scruggs Lester Flatt Emmylou Harris The Strangers

William Smith Monroe (born September 13, 1911 – died September 9, 1996) was an American musician. He played the mandolin, sang, and wrote songs. He is famous for creating a type of music called bluegrass music. Because of this, many people call him the "Father of Bluegrass".

The name "bluegrass" comes from his band, the Blue Grass Boys. They chose this name because of the "bluegrass" plant found in Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Bill Monroe performed for 69 years. He was a singer, played instruments, wrote music, and led his band.

Early Life and Music

Monroe was born on his family's farm near Rosine, Kentucky. He was the youngest of eight children. His mother and her brother, Pendleton Vandiver, were both very musical. Bill and his family often played and sang music at home.

His older brothers, Birch and Charlie Monroe, already played the fiddle and guitar. So, Bill started playing the mandolin. He once said his brothers told him to take off four of the mandolin's eight strings. This was so he wouldn't play too loudly!

Bill's mother passed away when he was ten. His father died six years later. His brothers and sisters moved away. Bill then lived with different relatives. He finally settled with his uncle, Pendleton Vandiver. Bill often went with his uncle when he played the fiddle at dances.

This time with his uncle inspired one of Bill's most famous songs, "Uncle Pen." He recorded it in 1950. Later, in 1972, he made an album called Bill Monroe's Uncle Pen. On this album, he played many old fiddle tunes he heard from his uncle. His uncle helped Bill learn many songs and a strong sense of rhythm. Also important was Arnold Shultz, a great fiddler and guitarist. He introduced Bill Monroe to the blues style of music.

Starting a Music Career

In 1929, Monroe moved to Indiana. He worked at an oil refinery with his brothers Birch and Charlie. They also played music with a childhood friend, William "Old Hickory" Hardin. With another friend, Larry Moore, they formed a group called the "Monroe Brothers." They played at local dances and parties.

Birch and Moore soon left the group. Bill and Charlie continued as a duo. They started performing live on radio stations. First, they played in Indiana. Then, they were sponsored by Texas Crystals. They broadcast from several states like Iowa, Nebraska, and North Carolina from 1934 to 1936.

RCA Victor signed the Monroe Brothers to a recording deal in 1936. They quickly had a hit song called "What Would You Give in Exchange For Your Soul?" It was a gospel song. They recorded 60 songs for Victor's Bluebird label between 1936 and 1938.

After the Monroe Brothers broke up in 1938, Bill Monroe formed a new band. It was called The Kentuckians. But this group only lasted three months. Monroe then moved to Atlanta, Georgia. There, he started the first version of the Blue Grass Boys. The first members were singer/guitarist Cleo Davis, fiddler Art Wooten, and bassist Amos Garren.

In October 1939, Monroe tried out for a regular spot on the Grand Ole Opry. This was a very famous country music show. He impressed the Opry's founder, George D. Hay. Bill played Jimmie Rodgers's song "Mule Skinner Blues" with lots of energy. Monroe recorded this song and seven others in 1940. This was his first solo recording session for RCA Victor. By then, his band included singer/guitarist Clyde Moody, fiddler Tommy Magness, and bassist Bill Wesbrooks.

The fast music and amazing playing that bluegrass is known for were already there. But Monroe was still trying out different sounds for his band. He didn't often sing the main vocals on his early recordings. He usually sang high harmony parts, like he did with the Monroe Brothers. In 1945, he even tried adding an accordion to the band for a short time.

Most importantly, Monroe added banjo player David "'Stringbean" Akeman to the Blue Grass Boys in 1942. Akeman played the banjo in a simple style. He didn't often play solos. Bill Monroe's music before 1946 was a mix of old string-band tradition and new ideas.

The "Original Bluegrass Band"

Big changes happened in Monroe's music in December 1945. That's when Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs joined the Blue Grass Boys. Flatt played a strong rhythm guitar. This helped set the beat for bluegrass music. Scruggs played the banjo in a special three-finger style. This style immediately amazed audiences at the Opry.

Flatt and Scruggs joined a very talented group. It included fiddler Howdy Forrester and bassist Joe Forrester. Soon, fiddler Chubby Wise and bassist Howard Watts (known as "Cedric Rainwater") also joined. Looking back, this group of the Blue Grass Boys is called the "Original Bluegrass Band." This is because their music finally had all the parts that make bluegrass music special. These parts include very fast speeds, complex singing harmonies, and amazing playing by the mandolin, banjo, and fiddle players. Around this time, Monroe got the 1923 Gibson F5 "Lloyd Loar" mandolin. This became his famous instrument for the rest of his career.

This version of the Blue Grass Boys recorded 28 songs for Columbia Records in 1946 and 1947. These songs became classics of the genre. They included "Toy Heart," "Blue Grass Breakdown," "Molly and Tenbrooks," and "My Rose of Old Kentucky." His most famous song was "Blue Moon of Kentucky." Elvis Presley recorded this song in 1954. It was the B-side of his first single. Monroe liked Presley's rock and roll version of the song. It was originally a slow ballad. Monroe even recorded his own faster version after Presley's song became a hit. Some gospel songs were credited to the "Blue Grass Quartet." These songs had four-part singing with only mandolin and guitar. This was how Monroe usually performed sacred songs.

Both Flatt and Scruggs left Monroe's band in early 1948. They soon formed their own group, the Foggy Mountain Boys. In 1949, Monroe signed with Decca Records. This time is often called the "golden age" of his career. He had what many consider the classic "high lonesome" sound of the Blue Grass Boys. This group featured the lead singing and rhythm guitar of Jimmy Martin. It also had the banjo playing of Rudy Lyle (who replaced Don Reno). Fiddlers like Merle "Red" Taylor, Charlie Cline, Bobby Hicks, and Vassar Clements also played with them. This band recorded many bluegrass classics. These included "My Little Georgia Rose," "On and On," and "Uncle Pen." They also recorded instrumentals like "Roanoke" and "Raw Hide." Carter Stanley joined the Blue Grass Boys as a guitarist for a short time in 1951. This was when The Stanley Brothers had temporarily split up.

On January 16, 1953, Monroe was seriously injured in a car accident. He and his bass player, Bessie Lee Mauldin, were returning home. Their car was hit by another vehicle. Monroe had injuries to his back, left arm, and nose. He was taken to the hospital. It took him almost four months to get better and start touring again. While he recovered, Charlie Cline and Jimmy Martin kept the band playing.

By the late 1950s, Monroe's music was not as popular. Rock and roll music became very big. Also, the "Nashville sound" in mainstream country music changed things. These new styles made it harder for bluegrass music to be successful. Monroe was still a regular on the Grand Ole Opry. But his songs didn't do as well on the music charts. He also found it hard to keep his band together because fewer people wanted to see live bluegrass shows.

Folk Music Revival

Monroe's popularity began to grow again in the early 1960s. This was during the American folk music revival. Many college students and young people started to discover Monroe's music. They saw his style as traditional folk music, not just country music.

The word "bluegrass" first appeared around this time. It was used to describe the sound of Monroe and other artists. These included Flatt and Scruggs, the Stanley Brothers, and the Osborne Brothers. Flatt and Scruggs quickly saw that there was a new audience in cities and on college campuses. Monroe was slower to react.

Ralph Rinzler, a young musician, helped Monroe. Rinzler became Monroe's manager for a short time in 1963. With Rinzler's help, Monroe started performing in more places. He went beyond the usual southern country music areas. Rinzler also wrote a long article and interview about Monroe in a folk music magazine. This article first called Monroe the "father" of bluegrass in public. So, at the first bluegrass festival in Roanoke, Virginia in 1965, Bill Monroe was the main star.

In 1964, before the Grateful Dead became famous, Jerry Garcia traveled across the country. He wanted to follow Monroe and learn from him.

More and more people across the country liked Monroe's music in the 1960s. This was clear because his band members came from many different places. Blue Grass Boys during this time included banjo player Bill Keith and singer/guitarist Peter Rowan from Massachusetts. Fiddler Gene Lowinger was from New Jersey. Banjo player Lamar Grier was from Maryland. And singer/guitarist Roland White and fiddler Richard Greene were from California.

Later Years and Legacy

Even after the folk revival slowed down in the mid-1960s, bluegrass music still had loyal fans. Bluegrass festivals became common. Fans would travel far to see many different bands perform over several days.

In 1967, Monroe started his own yearly bluegrass festival. It was at Bean Blossom in southern Indiana. He had bought this park in 1951. The festival regularly attracted thousands of people. A double album from the festival was released in 1973. It featured Monroe, Jimmy Martin, Lester Flatt, and Jim and Jesse. The annual Bill Monroe Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival is now the oldest bluegrass festival that has run every year.

Monroe's songs in his later years were mostly instrumentals. These included "Jerusalem Ridge" and "My Last Days on Earth." He became a respected leader in music. He continued to influence younger musicians. Monroe recorded two albums of duets in the 1980s. The first had him playing with country stars like Emmylou Harris and Waylon Jennings. The second paired him with other famous bluegrass musicians. A live album in 1989 celebrated his 50th year on the Grand Ole Opry. Monroe also kept a busy touring schedule. On April 7, 1990, Monroe performed at Farm Aid IV in Indianapolis, Indiana. He played with Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Neil Young.

Death

Monroe's last performance was on March 15, 1996. He stopped touring and playing in April after having a stroke. Bill Monroe passed away on September 9, 1996, in Springfield, Tennessee. This was just four days before his 85th birthday.

Awards and Influence

Bill Monroe was given the honorary title of Kentucky Colonel in 1966. He was added to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1970. He also joined the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1971. In 1997, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an "early influence." Only a few other artists, like Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams Sr., have been honored in all three.

As the "father of bluegrass," he was also one of the first people added to the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1991. Monroe received a National Heritage Fellowship in 1982. This is the highest honor the U.S. government gives for folk and traditional arts. In 1993, he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He was also given the National Medal of Arts in 1995.

His famous song "Blue Moon of Kentucky" has been covered by many artists. These include bluegrass, rock, and country singers. Some of the most famous are Elvis Presley, Paul McCartney, and Patsy Cline. In 2003, CMT ranked Bill Monroe No. 16 on their list of CMT 40 Greatest Men of Country Music.

Bill Monroe was very protective of bluegrass music. He always saw himself as the father and protector of the style. He would often say about new bands that didn't play to his standards, "That ain't no part of nothin'." Even those who question how wide bluegrass music is agree that Monroe was a "musical giant." They know that "there would be no bluegrass without Bill Monroe."

More than 150 musicians played in the Blue Grass Boys during Monroe's almost 60-year career. Monroe often found talented young musicians. They would learn from him before becoming famous artists themselves. Some of Monroe's band members who became well-known include singers/guitarists Lester Flatt, Jimmy Martin, and Peter Rowan. Banjo players like Earl Scruggs and Bill Keith also played with him. Fiddlers like Chubby Wise and Kenny Baker were also part of his band. Monroe also often performed with the amazing guitar player Doc Watson.

Modern bluegrass singer and mandolin player Ricky Skaggs was influenced by Monroe. Skaggs was only six years old in 1960 when he first performed on stage with Monroe and his band. He said, "I think Bill Monroe's importance to American music is as important as someone like Robert Johnson was to blues, or Louis Armstrong. He was so influential: I think he's probably the only musician that had a whole style of music named after his band."

In 1999, a part of Indiana State Road 135 was named the Bill Monroe Memorial Highway. This road runs from Morgantown to Nashville, Indiana.

On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine reported that Bill Monroe's music was among hundreds of artists' material. This material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal Studios fire.

Discography

Images for kids

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  Monroe (left) and his brother Charlie in 1936

See also

In Spanish: Bill Monroe para niños