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 76-100 of 373 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-071077 10-in. 10/2/1941 Back up and push Blue Grass Boys ; Bill Monroe Instrumental trio instrumentalist, mandolin, leader  
Victor E0VB-6279 10-in. 12/13/1950 Kentucky waltz Eddy Arnold Male vocal solo, with string band composer  
Columbia C4354 10-in. 2/13/1945 Rocky road blues Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys String band, with male vocal solo leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, mandolin  
Columbia C4355 10-in. 2/13/1945 Kentucky waltz Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys String band, with male vocal solo leader, songwriter, vocalist, instrumentalist, mandolin  
Columbia C4356 10-in. 2/13/1945 True life blues Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys Male vocal duet, with string band leader, vocalist, harmony vocal, instrumentalist, mandolin, composer, lyricist  
Columbia C4358 10-in. 2/13/1945 Goodbye old pal Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys String band, with male vocal solo leader, vocalist, composer, lyricist  
Columbia C4359 10-in. 2/13/1945 Footprints in the snow Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys Male vocal solo, with string band vocalist, instrumentalist, mandolin, leader  
Columbia C4360 10-in. 2/13/1945 Blue grass special Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys String band composer, instrumentalist, mandolin, leader  
Columbia CCO4605 10-in. 9/16/1946 Heavy traffic ahead Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys String band, with male vocal solo leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, mandolin, composer, lyricist  
Columbia CCO4607 10-in. 9/16/1946 Blue moon of Kentucky Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys String band, with male vocal solo leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, mandolin, composer, lyricist  
Columbia CCO4608 10-in. 9/16/1946 Toy heart Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys String band, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, mandolin, vocalist, harmony vocal, composer, lyricist  
Columbia CCO4609 10-in. 9/16/1946 Summertime is past and gone Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys Male vocal trio, with string band leader, vocalist, harmony vocal, instrumentalist, mandolin, composer, lyricist  
Columbia CCO4610 10-in. 9/16/1946 Mansions for me Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys String band, with male vocal duet leader, vocalist, harmony vocal, instrumentalist, mandolin, composer, lyricist  
Columbia CCO4611 10-in. 9/16/1946 Mother's only sleeping Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys String band, with male vocal duet vocalist, harmony vocal, instrumentalist, mandolin, composer, lyricist  
Columbia CCO4612 10-in. 9/16/1946 Blue yodel #4 Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys String band, with male vocal solo leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, mandolin  
Columbia CCO4613 10-in. 9/16/1946 Will you be loving another man Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys String band, with male vocal duet leader, vocalist, harmony vocal, instrumentalist, mandolin, songwriter  
Columbia CCO4614 10-in. 9/16/1946 How will I explain about you Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys String band, with male vocal duet leader, vocalist, harmony vocal, composer, lyricist  
Columbia CCO4616 10-in. 9/17/1946 Wicked path of sin Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys Male vocal quartet, with string band leader, vocalist, harmony vocal, instrumentalist, mandolin, composer, lyricist  
Columbia CCO4874 10-in. 10/27/1947 I'm going back to old Kentucky Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys String band, with male vocal duet lyricist, composer, vocalist, harmony vocal, instrumentalist, mandolin, leader  
Columbia CCO4875 10-in. 10/27/1947 It's mighty dark to travel Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys String band, with male vocal duet leader, vocalist, harmony vocal, instrumentalist, mandolin, composer, lyricist  
Columbia CCO4876 10-in. 10/27/1947 I hear a sweet voice calling Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys String band, with male vocal solo leader, vocalist, lead vocal, instrumentalist, mandolin, composer, lyricist  
Columbia CCO4877 10-in. 10/27/1947 Little cabin home on the hill Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys String band, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, mandolin, composer, lyricist, vocalist, harmony vocal  
Columbia CCO4878 10-in. 10/27/1947 My rose of old Kentucky Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys String band, with male vocal solo leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, mandolin, composer, lyricist  
Columbia CCO4879 10-in. 10/27/1947 Blue grass breakdown Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys String band leader, instrumentalist, mandolin, composer  
Columbia CCO4880 10-in. 10/27/1947 Sweetheart you done me wrong Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys String band, with male vocal solo leader, vocalist, harmony vocal, instrumentalist, mandolin, composer, lyricist  
(Results 76-100 of 373 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Monroe, Bill," accessed May 7, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103708.

Monroe, Bill. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 7, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103708.

"Monroe, Bill." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 7 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

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