Bill Monroe

William Smith Monroe (; September 13, 1911 – September 9, 1996) was an American mandolinist, singer, and songwriter, who created the bluegrass music genre. Because of this, he is often called the "Father of Bluegrass".

The genre takes its name from his band, the Blue Grass Boys, who named their group for the bluegrass of Monroe's home state of Kentucky. He described the genre as "Scottish bagpipes and ole-time fiddlin'. It's Methodist and Holiness and Baptist. It's blues and jazz, and it has a high lonesome sound."

Birth and Death Data: Born September 13, 1911 (Rosine), Died September 9, 1996 (Springfield)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1936 - 1972

Roles Represented in DAHR: mandolin, vocalist, leader, composer, lyricist, harmony vocal, Musical group, songwriter, yodeling, arranger, guitar, lead vocal

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 51-75 of 373 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-018808 10-in. 1/28/1938 Have a feast here tonight Monroe Brothers Male vocal duet, with guitar and mandolin instrumentalist, mandolin, vocalist  
Victor BS-018809 10-in. 1/28/1938 Goodbye, Maggie Monroe Brothers Male vocal duet, with guitar and mandolin vocalist, instrumentalist, mandolin  
Victor BS-018810 10-in. 1/28/1938 Rollin' on Monroe Brothers Male vocal duet, with guitar and mandolin vocalist, instrumentalist, mandolin  
Victor BS-018811 10-in. 1/28/1938 The old man's story Monroe Brothers Male vocal duet, with guitar and mandolin vocalist, instrumentalist, mandolin  
Victor BS-018812 10-in. 1/28/1938 I've still got ninety-nine Monroe Brothers Male vocal duet, with guitar and mandolin vocalist, instrumentalist, mandolin  
Victor BS-018813 10-in. 1/28/1938 Little Joe Monroe Brothers Male vocal duet, with guitar and mandolin vocalist, instrumentalist, mandolin  
Victor BS-018814 10-in. 1/28/1938 A beautiful life Monroe Brothers Male vocal duet, with guitar and mandolin vocalist, instrumentalist, mandolin  
Victor BS-018815 10-in. 1/28/1938 Pearly gates Monroe Brothers Male vocal duet, with guitar and mandolin vocalist, instrumentalist, mandolin  
Victor BS-018816 10-in. 1/28/1938 On my way back home Monroe Brothers Male vocal duet, with guitar and mandolin vocalist, instrumentalist, mandolin  
Victor BS-018817 10-in. 1/28/1938 When our Lord shall come again Monroe Brothers Male vocal duet, with guitar and mandolin vocalist, instrumentalist, mandolin  
Victor BS-054518 10-in. 10/7/1940 Mule skinner blues Blue Grass Boys ; Bill Monroe String band, with male vocal solo and yodeling vocalist, yodeling, instrumentalist, guitar, leader  
Victor BS-054519 10-in. 10/7/1940 No letter in the mail Blue Grass Boys ; Bill Monroe String band, with male vocal duet vocalist, instrumentalist, mandolin, leader  
Victor BS-054520 10-in. 10/7/1940 Cryin' holy unto the Lord Blue Grass Boys ; Bill Monroe Male vocal quartet, with guitar and mandolin leader  
Victor BS-054521 10-in. 10/7/1940 Six white horses Blue Grass Boys ; Bill Monroe String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, mandolin, leader  
Victor BS-054522 10-in. 10/7/1940 Dog house blues Blue Grass Boys ; Bill Monroe String band, with male vocal solo and yodeling instrumentalist, mandolin, vocalist, yodeling, leader  
Victor BS-054523 10-in. 10/7/1940 I wonder if you feel the way I do? Blue Grass Boys ; Bill Monroe String band, with male vocal duet instrumentalist, mandolin, vocalist, leader  
Victor BS-054524 10-in. 10/7/1940 Katy Hill Blue Grass Boys ; Bill Monroe String band instrumentalist, mandolin, leader  
Victor BS-054525 10-in. 10/7/1940 Tennessee blues Blue Grass Boys ; Bill Monroe String band instrumentalist, mandolin, leader  
Victor BS-071070 10-in. 10/2/1941 Shake my mother's hand for me Blue Grass Boys ; Bill Monroe String band, with vocal leader  
Victor BS-071071 10-in. 10/2/1941 Were you there Blue Grass Boys ; Bill Monroe String band, with vocal leader  
Victor BS-071072 10-in. 10/2/1941 Blue yodel no. 7 Blue Grass Boys ; Bill Monroe String band, with male vocal solo and yodeling vocalist, yodeling, instrumentalist, mandolin, leader  
Victor BS-071073 10-in. 10/2/1941 The coupon song Blue Grass Boys ; Bill Monroe String band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, mandolin, leader  
Victor BS-071074 10-in. 10/2/1941 Orange Blossom special Blue Grass Boys ; Bill Monroe String band, with male vocal duet and talk vocalist, instrumentalist, mandolin, leader  
Victor BS-071075 10-in. 10/2/1941 Honky tonk swing Blue Grass Boys ; Bill Monroe String band instrumentalist, mandolin, composer, leader  
Victor BS-071076 10-in. 10/2/1941 In the pines Blue Grass Boys ; Bill Monroe String band, with male vocal duet vocalist, instrumentalist, mandolin, leader  
(Results 51-75 of 373 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Monroe, Bill," accessed May 10, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103708.

Monroe, Bill. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 10, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103708.

"Monroe, Bill." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 10 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103708

External Sources

Wikipedia: Bill Monroe

Discogs: Bill Monroe

Allmusic: Bill Monroe

Grove: Bill Monroe

IMDb: Bill Monroe

Britannica: Bill Monroe

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Monroe, Bill, 1911-1996 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82090832

Wikidata: Bill Monroe - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q170042

VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/39562704

MusicBrainz: Bill Monroe - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/d206e5df-e9de-40ec-8982-7013f27efb73

FAST: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/95069

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.