Bill Monroe
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September 13, 1911 - September 9, 1996
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Singer, mandolinist, songwriter and bandleader Bill Monroe is widely considered the "Father of Bluegrass Music". The style takes its name from that of Monroe's band, the Blue Grass Boys, which in turn was named for Monroe's native state of Kentucky.
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- Discography (61)
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Biography: Father of Bluegrass Music
Singer, mandolinist, songwriter and bandleader Bill Monroe is widely considered the "Father of Bluegrass Music". The style takes its name from that of Monroe's band, the Blue Grass Boys, which in turn was named for Monroe's native state of Kentucky.He first performed and recorded with his brother Charlie, as the Monroe Brothers. Following their split in 1938, Bill organized his own band, which he continued to lead until his death in 1996. Many of the great performers in bluegrass got their start as Blue Grass Boys. Monroe became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1939 and was a regular performer there for over 50 years.
Monroe's style combined the old-time mountain music of his youth, elements of the blues, and an emphasis on driving, virtuoso instrumentals. He steadfastly maintained his acoustic string band sound even at a time when most of country music went electric. His vocal style featured high, keening harmonies, often described by others as "high lonesome".
Contributed by: Stewart Evans
Releases:
Albums | ||
| Knee Deep In Blue Grass | 1958 | |
| I Saw The Light | 1959 | |
| Mr. Bluegrass | 1961 | |
| The Great Bill Monroe | 1961 | |
| Bluegrass Ramble | 1962 | |
| Bluegrass Special | 1962 | |
| My All Time Country Favorites | 1962 | |
| I'll Meet You In Church Sunday Morning | 1964 | |
| Bluegrass Instrumentals | 1965 | |
| The High Lonesome Sound | 1966 | |
| Bluegrass Time | 1967 | |
| Greatest Hits | 1967 | |
| A Voice From On High | 1969 | |
| Bill Monroe And Charlie Monroe | 1969 | |
| Kentucky Bluegrass | 1970 | |
| Country Music Hall Of Fame | 1971 | |
| Bill Monroe's Uncle Pen | 1972 | |
| Uncle Pen | 1972 | |
| Bean Blossom | 1973 | |
| Bill and James Monroe - Father and Son | 1973 | |
| Road Of Life | 1974 | |
| Weary Traveller | 1976 | |
| Bluegrass Memories | 1977 | |
| Sings Bluegrass Body And Soul | 1977 | |
| Bill and James Monroe - Together Again | 1978 | |
| Bean Blossom '79 | 1980 | |
| Master of Bluegrass | 1981 | |
| And Friends | 1984 | |
| Columbia Historic Edition | 1984 | |
| And Stars Of The Bluegrass Hall Of Fame | 1985 | |
| Bluegrass '87 | 1987 | |
| Southern Flavor | 1988 | |
| At His Best | 1989 | |
| Blue Grass 1950-1958 | 1989 | |
| Live At The Opry | 1989 | |
| Blue Grass 1959 - 1969 | 1991 | |
| Country Music Hall Of Fame Series | 1991 | |
| Cryin' Holy Unto The Lord | 1991 | |
| Mule Skinner Blues | 1991 | |
| The Essential Bill Monroe, 1945-1949 (1 review) | 1992 | |
| Bill Monroe and Doc Watson - Live Duet Recordings 1963-1980, Off The Record vol. 2 | 1993 | |
| Live Recordings 1956-1969, Off The Record | 1993 | |
| Blue Grass 1970-1979 | 1994 | |
| The Music of Bill Monroe, 1936-1994 | 1994 | |
| 16 Gems | 1996 | |
| The Essential Bill Monroe and the Monroe Brothers | 1997 | |
| The Early Years 1945-1949 | 1998 | |
| Father of Bluegrass - The Early Years 1940-1947 | 1999 | |
| James and Bill Monroe - Blue Grass Special Memories | 1999 | |
| Live From Mountain Stage | 1999 | |
| Lookin' Back | 1999 | |
| The Millennium Collection | 1999 | |
| American Traveler | 2000 | |
| Live Radio | 2000 | |
| Blue Grass Special | 2001 | |
| Live - Volume 1 | 2001 | |
Singles | ||
| Dog House Blues/Katy Hill | 1940 | |
| Mule Skinner Blues/Six White Horses | 1940 | |
| No Letter In The Mail/Cryin' Holy Unto The Lord | 1940 | |
| Blue Yodel No. 7/In The Pines | 1941 | |
| I Wonder If You Feel The Way I Do/Tennessee Blues | 1941 | |
| The Coupon Song/Orange Blossom Special | 1941 | |
| Honky Tonk Swing/Back Up And Push | 1942 | |
| Shake My Mother's Hand For Me/Were You There? | 1942 | |
| Kentucky Waltz/Rocky Road Blues | 1946 | |
| True Life Blues/Footprints In The Snow | 1946 | |
| Goodbye Old Pal/Blue Moon Of Kentucky | 1947 | |
| How Will I Explain About You?/Blue Grass Special | 1947 | |
| Mansions For Me/Mother's Only Sleeping | 1947 | |
| Will You Be Loving Another Man? | 1947 | |
| I Hear A Sweet Voice Calling/Little Cabin Home On The Hill | 1948 | |
| Little Community Church/That Home Above | 1948 | |
| My Rose Of Old Kentucky/Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong | 1948 | |
| Shine Hallelujah Shine/I'm Travelling On And On | 1948 | |
| Summertime Is Past And Gone/Wicked Path Of Sin | 1948 | |
| When You Are Lonely/It's Mighty Dark To Travel | 1948 | |
| Along About Daybreak/Heavy Traffic Ahead | 1949 | |
| Blue Grass Stomp/The Girl In The Blue Velvet Band | 1949 | |
| I'm Going Back To Old Kentucky/Molly And Tenbrooks | 1949 | |
| Remember The Cross/The Old Cross Road | 1949 | |
| Toy Heart/Blue Grass Breakdown | 1949 | |
| I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome/Boat Of Love | 1950 | |
| Memories Of You/Blue Grass Ramble | 1950 | |
| My Little Georgia Rose/New Mule Skinner Blues | 1950 | |
| The Old Fiddler/Alabama Waltz | 1950 | |
| Travellin' This Lonesome Road/Can't You Hear Me Callin'? | 1950 | |
| When The Golden Leaves Begin To Fall/Uncle Pen | 1950 | |
| Brakeman's Blues/Travelin' Blues | 1951 | |
| Get Down On Your Knees And Pray/I'll Meet You In Church Sunday Morning | 1951 | |
| Poison Love/On The Old Kentucky Shore | 1951 | |
| Prisoner's Song/Kentucky Waltz | 1951 | |
| River Of Death/Lord Protect My Soul | 1951 | |
| Rotation Blues/Lonesome Truck Driver's Blues | 1951 | |
| Sugar Coated Love/Highway Of Sorrow | 1951 | |
| Swing Low Sweet Chariot/Angels Rock Me To Sleep | 1951 | |
| The First Whippoorwill/Christmas Time's A-Coming | 1951 | |
| A Mighty Pretty Waltz/Pike County Breakdown | 1952 | |
| Footprints In The Snow/In The Pines | 1952 | |
| I'm On My Way To The Old Home/The First Whippoorwill | 1952 | |
| Raw Hide/Letter From My Darlin' | 1952 | |
| When The Cactus Is In Bloom/Sailor's Plea | 1952 | |
| Cabin Of Love/Country Waltz | 1953 | |
| The Little Girl And The Dreadful Snake/Memories Of Mother And Dad | 1953 | |
| You're Drifting Away/Walking In Jerusalem | 1953 | |
| A Voice From On High/I'm Working On A Building | 1954 | |
| Close By/Blue Moon Of Kentucky | 1954 | |
| Get Up John/White House Blues | 1954 | |
| Happy On My Way/He Will Set Your Fields On Fire | 1954 | |
| I Hope You Have Learned/Wishing Waltz | 1954 | |
| Y'all Come/Changing Partners | 1954 | |
| Cheyenne/Roanoke | 1955 | |
| Wait A Little Longer, Please Jesus/Let The Light Shine Down On Me | 1955 | |
| Wheel Hoss/Put My Little Shoes Away | 1955 | |
| On And On/I Believed In You Darling | 1956 | |
| A Fallen Star/Four Walls | 1957 | |
| I'm Sittin' On Top Of The World/Molly And Tenbrooks | 1957 | |
| You'll Find Her Name Written There/Sittin' Alone In The Moonlight | 1957 | |
| Brand New Shoes/Sally Jo | 1958 | |
| Scotland/Panhandle Country | 1958 | |
| Gotta Travel On/No One But My Darlin' | 1959 | |
| Tomorrow I'll Be Gone/Dark As The Night, Blue As The Day | 1959 | |
| Lonesome Wind Blues/Come Go With Me | 1960 | |
| Precious Memories/Jesus Hold My Hand | 1960 | |
| Blue Grass Part 1/Flowers Of Love | 1961 | |
| Linda Lou/Put My Rubber Doll Away | 1961 | |
| Blue Ridge Mountain Blues/How Will I Explain About You | 1962 | |
| Toy Heart/Danny Boy | 1962 | |
| New John Henry Blues/Devil's Dream | 1963 | |
| There Was Nothing We Could Do/Big Sandy River | 1963 | |
| Darling Corey/Salt Creek | 1964 | |
| Mary At The Home Place/Shenandoah Breakdown | 1964 | |
| Jimmy Brown The Newsboy/Cindy | 1965 | |
| The Old Old House/I Live In The Past | 1965 | |
| Master Builder/Going Home | 1966 | |
| When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again/Pretty Fair Maiden In The Garden | 1967 | |
| Is The Blue Moon Still Shining?/Train 45 (Heading South) | 1968 | |
| The Gold Rush/Virginia Darling | 1968 | |
| Crossing The Cumberlands/I Haven't Seen Mary In Years | 1969 | |
| Fireball Mail/With Body And Soul | 1969 | |
| Bonny/Sweet Mary And The Miles In Between | 1970 | |
| McKinley's March/Walk Softly On My Heart | 1970 | |
| Going Up Caney/Tallahassee | 1971 | |
| Lonesome Moonlight Waltz/My Old Kentucky And You | 1972 | |
| Swing Low Sweet Chariot/Down Yonder | 1973 | |
| Tall Pines/Foggy Mountain Top | 1973 | |
| My Sweet Blue Eyed Darling/Monroe's Blues | 1977 | |
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