Bill Monroe

Bill Monroe (b. Rosine, Kentucky, September 13, 1911 – d. Springfield, Tennessee, 1996). Singer, songwriter, mandolinist, and bandleader. Known as the “Father of Bluegrass Music,” Monroe was born in Kentucky and as an adult settled in Nashville, but he made Brown County his long-time home-away-from home after purchasing land there in 1951. As owner and frequent guest of the Bill Monroe Country Music Jamboree, his virtuoso mandolin playing and high, lonesome tenor voice could be heard regularly on the Bean Blossom stage. Another connection to Indiana involves Monroe’s late teen years, when he moved to East Chicago, Indiana, to work at an oil refinery with his brothers. At that time, he spent evenings playing with a family string band and eventually got some radio and stage exposure in Chicago. In summary, Bill Monroe is not only a revolutionary figure in Bluegrass music, but he also influenced country, Gospel, and rock musicians. In 1993—three years before his death—he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2003, CMT ranked Monroe as #16 in the 40 Greatest Men in Country Music.