Bill Monroe

Bill Monroe took the music of the traditional string bands and turned it on its head with faster tempo, greater virtuosity and most of all attention to the talents of the musicians he hired for his band, the Bluegrass Boys. The group's name would soon be applied to a whole new genre of music attributed to their wonderful sound. In 1939 Bill and the Boys debuted on the Grand Ole Opry and WSM's powerful radio signal soon made Bill Monroe a household name throughout much of America. Songs like "Uncle Pen" and "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" soon became Bill Monroe trademarks. In addition, many Blue Grass Boys alumni, including Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, and Jimmy Martin, launched Blue Grass bands of their own. Other great musicians caught on to the style, but, thanks to the linking of the genre with the band, folks know that the father of bluegrass is the indomitable Bill Monroe.