Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

Mandolinist, Bill Monroe, was born near Rosine, Kentucky, on 13 September 1911. Known as the father of bluegrass, Bill composed consistently throughout his career. Among his countless compositions are 'Wicked Path of Sin' (1946), 'I’m Going Back to Old Kentucky' (1947), 'Along About Daybreak' (1949), 'Kentucky Waltz' (1954) and 'My Last Days on Earth' (1981).

It was 1929 when Bill joined his brothers, Birch and Charlie, at a Sinclair oil refinery, also putting together a band with them. Bill, Charlie, Birch and Larry Moore formed a quartet, leaving Bill and Charlie a mandolin and guitar duo when Birch and Moore quit the group. The Monroe Brothers strung along their first duets on February 17, 1936, in Charlotte, NC, putting down ten titles from 'My Long Journey Home' / 'Nine Pound Hammer Is Too Heavy' (Bluebird 6422) to 'What Would You Give in Exchange' / 'The World Is Not My Home' (Bluebird 6309). [See Praguefrank's which uses Russell's 'Country Music Records' (CMR).]

'New River Train'   Monroe Brother

17 Feb 1936 in Charlotte NC   Matrix BS-99201-1   Bluebird B-6645 / Montgomery Ward M-4748

Mandolin / vocal: Bill Monroe   Guitar / vocal: Charlie Monroe

Composition: Traditional   First recording by Henry Whitter in 1924

Copyrighted by Maggie Andrews (Carson Robison) in 1936

CMR has Bill and Charlie recording sixty tracks together for Victor's Bluebird label between 1936 and 1938, the year they went their different ways. CMR shows their last session on January 28, 1938, also in Charlotte, to yield ten tracks from 'Have a Feast Here Tonight' / 'Goodbye Maggie' (Bluebird 7508) to 'A Beautiful Life' / 'When Our Lord Shall Come Again' (Bluebird 7562). Charlie went on to form the Monroe Boys with Zeke Morris and Bill Calhoun. Bill formed a group called the Kentuckians which lasted only three months before putting together the Blue Grass Boys, the band after which the whole musical genre of bluegrass would be named.

It was 1939 when Monroe debuted on the 'Grand Ole Opry' show. CMR picks up the Blue Grass Boys the next year on October 7, 1940, in Atlanta, Georgia, recording eight titles to include 'Mule Skinner Blues' (Bluebird 8568), 'No Letter in the Mail' (Bluebird 8611) and 'Cryin' Holy Unto My Lord' (Bluebird 8611). That configuration with Monroe at guitar included Tommy Magness (fiddle), Clyde Moody (mandolin) and Willie Westbrooks (bass).

'Mule Skinner Blues'   Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

7 Oct 1940 in Atlanta GA   Matrix BS-054518

Bluebird B-8568 / Montgomery Ward M-8861 / Victor 20-3163

Violin: Tommy Magness   Mandolin: Clyde Moody

Guitar: Vocal: Bill Monroe   Bass: Willie Wesbrooks

Composition: Jimmie Rodgers / George Vaughn

'Orange Blossom Special'   Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

2 Oct 1941 in Atlanta GA   Matrix BS-071074   Bluebird B-8893

Violin: Art Wooten   Mandolin / vocal: Clyde Moody

Guitar: Pete Pyle   Bass: Cousin Wilbur

Composition: Ervin Rouee 1938

It was March of 1943 that Chubby Wise joined the Blue Grass Boys, the same month as Lester Flatt in 1945. Earl Scruggs signed on in December the same year. Their contributions to the group were key to its development and success until 1948 when Flatt and Scruggs left to form the band, the Foggy Mountain Boys.

'Heavy Traffic Ahead'   Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

16 Sep 1946 in Chicago IL   Matrix CCO 4605   Columbia 20595

Violin: Chubby Wise   Mandolin / vocal: Bill Monroe

Guitar: Lester Flatt   Banjo: Earl Scruggs   Bass: Howard Watts

Composition: Bill Monroe

'Blue Moon of Kentucky'   Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

16 Sep 1946 in Chicago IL   Matrix CCO 4607   Columbia 37888

Violin: Chubby Wise   Mandolin / vocal: Bill Monroe

Guitar: Lester Flatt   Banjo: Earl Scruggs   Bass: Howard Watts

Composition: Bill Monroe

'Brakeman's Blues'   Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

28 Oct 1950 ?

Violin: Red Taylor   Mandolin / vocal: Bill Monroe

Guitar: Jimmy Martin   Banjo: Rudy Lyle   Bass: Joel Price

Composition: Jimmie Rodgers

'Highway of Sorrow'   Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

23 April 1951 in Nashville TN    Matrix 80926/NA 2384   Decca 9-46369

Violin: Hal Smith   Mandolin / vocal: Bill Monroe

Guitar: Grady Martin / Jack Shook   Banjo: Rudy Lyle

Bass: Ernie Newton   Drums: Farris Coursey

Composition: Bill Monroe / Pete Pyle

'Sugar Coated Love'   Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

Live Oct 1952

Composition: Audrey Butler

'Y'all Come'   Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

9 Jan 1954 in Nashville TN    Matrix 85698/NA 3215   Decca 9-29021

Violin: Charlie Cline   Mandolin / vocal: Bill Monroe

Guitar: Jimmy Martin / Grady Martin   Banjo: Rudy Lyle

Bass: Ernie Newton   Drums: Farris Coursey

Composition: Arlie Duff

'Tall Timber'   Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

16 Sep 1955 in Nashville TN    Matrix 88684/NA 9178

See the compilation 'Bluegrass Instrumentals' on Decca DL 4601 / 1965

Violin: Gordon Terry / Tommy Jackson   Mandolin / vocal: Bill Monroe

Guitar: Charlie Cline   Banjo: Joe Stuart   Bass: Bessie Mauldin

Composition: Bill Monroe

'Brown County Breakdown'   Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

16 Sep 1955 in Nashville TN    Matrix 88685/NA 9179

See the compilation 'Bluegrass Instrumentals' on Decca DL 4601 / 1965

Violin: Gordon Terry / Tommy Jackson   Mandolin / vocal: Bill Monroe

Guitar: Charlie Cline   Banjo: Joe Stuart   Bass: Bessie Mauldin

Composition: Bill Monroe

The Bluegrass Boys were a hot potato, though by the late fifties mainstream country music, not to mention rock and roll, were putting the squeeze on bluegrass. The folk revival in the early sixties, however, put air in its sails again, which is when Monroe began being called the "father" of what started to be commonly called bluegrass. Highlighting the seventies was the issue of 'Bluegrass Memories' in 1977, six of its tracks written by Monroe.

'Bugle Call Rag'   Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

4 Dec 1961 in Nashville TN    Matrix 111455/NA 11823

See the album 'Bluegrass Ramble' on DL 4266 / 1962

Composition: Billy Meyers / Jack Pettis / Elmer Schoebel

'Uncle Pen'   Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

1965   Television

Composition: Bill Monroe

Live in Madison   Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

20 June 1966 in Madison NJ   Tex Logan House Party

Violin: Gene Lowinger / Tex Logan / Richard Greene   Mandolin / vocal: Bill Monroe

Guitar: Peter Rowan   Banjo: Joe Stuart   Bass: Bessie Mauldin

Composition: Bill Monroe

'Kentucky Waltz'   Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

1967   Television

Violin: Benny Williams   Mandolin / vocal: Bill Monroe

Guitar: Roland White   Banjo: Vic Jordan   Bass: James Monroe (son)

Composition: Bill Monroe

'Mule Skinner Blues'   Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

11 Feb 1973 at Humboldt University in Arcata CA

Violin: Kenny Baker   Mandolin / vocal: Bill Monroe

Guitar: Joe Stuart   Banjo: Jack Hicks   Bass: Monroe Fields

Composition: Jimmie Rodgers / George Vaughn

'Footprints in the Snow'   Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

Live at the 1973 Bluegrass Festival in Crosby TN

Violin: Kenny Baker   Mandolin / vocal: Bill Monroe   Banjo: Jack Hicks

Composition: Boyd Lane

'Bluegrass Memories'   Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

Album recorded 25 July 1977 in Mount Juliet TN   See MCA-2315

Violin: Buddy Spicher   Mandolin / vocal: Bill Monroe

Guitar: James Monroe / Wayne Lewis   Banjo: William Holden

Bass: Stephen Davis   Bells: Walter Haynes

'Get Up John'   Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

Live on 10 June 1979 in Bean Blossom IN

Violin: Kenny Baker   Mandolin / vocal: Bill Monroe

Guitar: Wayne Lewis   Banjo: Butch Robins   Bass: Randy Davis

Composition: Bill Monroe

'Rocky Road Blues'   Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

'The Old Old House' at 3:18   'Come Hither to Go Yonder' at 7:00

Live 1985 at the Berkshire Mountain Festival in Great Barrington MA

'Austin City Limits'   Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys   Television

12 Jan 1986 airing on PBS 29 March 1986

With the Virginia Boys (Jim and Jesse) / Mac Wiseman

Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys

'Southern Flavor'   Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

21 May 1989

See the album 'Live on Mountain Stage' / Blue Plate Music BPM-400 / 1999

Composition: Bill Monroe

The compilation, 'The Music of Bill Monroe from 1936 to 1994' was issued by MCA in 1994. The Praguefrank sessionography traces Monroe to as late as sometime 1994 toward instrumentals such as 'Southern Flavor' and 'Sally Goodin'.

Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

Live at Charlotte Bluegrass Festival in MI on 24 June 1994

Violin: Robert Bowlin   Mandolin / vocal: Bill Monroe

Guitar: Tom Ewing   Banjo: Dana Cupp Jr.   Bass: Mil Mattish

Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys

Live on 16 Oct 1994

15th Annual Museum of Appalachia Tennessee Fall Homecoming in Norris IN

Violin: Robert Bowlin   Mandolin / vocal: Bill Monroe

Guitar: Tom Ewing   Banjo: Dana Cupp Jr.   Bass: Tater Tate

The ibiblio sessionography discovers Bill to as late as 21 February 1996 for 'Walk Softly On This Heart of Mine' and 'Blue Moon of Kentucky'. Bill died later that year on September 9, 1996, four days before his 85th birthday. Among his numerous awards had been induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1970, a Grammy for 'Southern Flavor' in 1988 and, oddly enough, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 as an early influence.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine