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Bill Monroe

BILL MONROE
 
 
Bill Monroe  (September 13, 1911 – September 9, 1996) was an American mandolinist, singer, and songwriter who created the style of music known as bluegrass.  The genre takes its name from his band, the Blue Grass Boys, named for Monroe’s home state of Kentucky.  Monroe’s performing career spanned 69 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader.  He is often referred to as the Father of Bluegrass.  (More from Wikipedia)

 
The man born Thomas Johnson in Bastrop, LA – who became known as The Lonesome Drifter – was inspired by the founders of country and western like Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams and Bill Monroe; and his dream was to appear on the Louisiana Hayride. 
 
(May 2011)
 
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The entry on the Carter Family in Allmusic (by David Vinopal) includes:  “Comprised of a gaunt, shy gospel quartet member named Alvin P. Carter and two reserved country girls – his wife, Sara [Dougherty Carter], and their sister-in-law, Maybelle [Addington Carter] – the Carter Family sang a pure, simple harmony that influenced not only the numerous other family groups of the ’30s and the ’40s, but folk, bluegrass, and rock musicians like Woody Guthrie, Bill Monroe, the Kingston Trio, Doc Watson, Bob Dylan, and Emmylou Harris, to mention just a few.  It’s unlikely that bluegrass music would have existed without the Carter Family.” 

 

(February 2015)