Product Description
Spanning over 1,000 separate performances, "The Music of Bill Monroe" presents a complete chronological list of all of Bill Monroe's commercially released sound and visual recordings. Each chapter begins with a narrative describing Monroe's life and career at that point, bringing in producers, sidemen, and others as they become part of the story. The narratives read like a "who's who" of bluegrass, connecting Monroe to the music's larger history and containing many fascinating stories. The second part of each chapter presents the discography. Information here includes the session's place, date, time, and producer; master/matrix numbers, song/tune titles, composer credits, personnel, instruments, and vocals; catalog/release numbers and reissue data. The only complete bio-discography of this American musical icon, "The Music of Bill Monroe" is the starting point for any study of Monroe's contributions as a composer, interpreter, and performer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

ExcellentResource
I can't say enough about the thoroughness and accuracy of this important work. It will be on my reference shelf for many years to come!

father of blue grass represented well
well done book on the father of bluegrass and his songs, with a good timeline to how events occurred

The Music of Big Mon in fine detail
I just got my long awaited copy of the new Neil Rosenberg/Charles Wolfe book "The Music of Bill Monroe" and to my utmost sincere disappointment there was not one photo except the paper cover photo of Monroe. While the 350 fine print pages will be some great reading I was really expecting hundreds of rare unpublished photos of Monroe over the decades like Neil had done in his long out of print 1974 Monore Discography.It was my understanding the new book was just an update from the '74 paperback with more photos. What I've read so far is very informative and entertaining.
With the late Charles Wolfe involved in the project there is a lot more insight into the details of Monroe's music but you would think between those two world reknowned authors they could have put in a dozen pages or so of photos of the various Bluegrass Boys, photos of LP and EP covers,advertisments, promotional photos of Monore over the years to coincide along with the recording details. While I really am disappointed of the lack of photos I will just have to live with the attitude that anything new Monroe is better than nothing at all. I would assume this book will be avaiable in paperback in a few years. Heafty $35 price will scare away the meger fans with the lack of photos. True Monroe diehards will want this one. A must read if you want to get into the real Bluegrass music and it's creator. How about a 300 page follow up of the "Life of Bill Monroe in Photo" to make up for this one not having any photos! ... Read more

Product Description
'Tell 'em I'm a farmer with a mandolin and a high tenor voice', Bill Monroe said. Known as the 'Father of Bluegrass', Monroe pioneered a whole new genre of music and inspired generations of musicians and fans. Yet from his founding of the original bluegrass band through six decades of performing, he remained an enigmatic figure, a mixture of fierce intensity, homespun modesty, and musical integrity. Determined to play the mandolin in a way it had never been played before, Bill Monroe distinguished himself in the mid-1930s with the Monroe Brothers, then began forming his own band, the Blue Grass Boys, in 1938.By the mid-1940s other bands had begun copying his sound, and a new style, bluegrass music, was born. While country music moved toward electrification, Monroe maintained his acoustic ensemble and developed his 'high, lonesome sound', performing nearly up to his death in 1996. Lively, heartfelt, and informative, "The Bill Monroe Reader" is a fitting tribute to the man and the musician who transformed the traditional music of western Kentucky into an international sensation.In this eclectic and richly illustrated reader, former Blue Grass Boy Tom Ewing gathers the most significant and illuminating of the many articles that have been written about Monroe. Through the writings of nearly sixty observers, interviewers, admirers, folklorists, and other scholars, along with Ewing's own astute commentary, "The Bill Monroe Reader" offers a multifaceted view of one of the most influential musicians of the twentieth century. ... Read more

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Now in paperback: The definitive biography of the father of bluegrass, who "did what no other individual has done: invented an entire genre of music."- Chicago Tribune.

Considering the range of stars that have claimed Bill Monroe as an influence-Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, and Jerry Garcia are just a few-it can be said that no single artist has had as broad an impact on American popular music as he did. For sixty years, Monroe was a star at the Grand Ole Opry, and when he died in 1996, he was universally hailed as "the Father of Bluegrass." But the personal life of this taciturn figure remained largely unknown. Delving into everything from Monroe's professional successes to his bitter rivalries, from his isolated childhood to his reckless womanizing, veteran bluegrass journalist Richard D. Smith has created a three-dimensional portrait of this brilliant, complex, and contradictory man. Featuring over 120 interviews, this scrupulously researched work-a Chicago Tribune Choice Selection, New York Times Notable Book, and Los Angeles Times Best Book of 2000-stands as the authoritative biography of a true giant of American music.Amazon.com Review
The legendary mandolinist and bandleader Bill Monroe wove his personal vision through more than 60 tireless years of recording and performing, inventing almost single-handedly the music that is now known--in a nod to his first band, the Blue Grass Boys--as bluegrass. In his thoughtful biography Can't You Hear Me Callin', Richard D. Smith argues that "no single artist has had as broad an impact on American music." As evidence, he highlights dozens of country and rock & roll musicians, both white and black, who were inspired by Monroe's powerful mandolin playing on the Grand Ole Opry's weekly broadcasts. (Chuck Berry's "Maybelline," for example, is an almost note-for-note copy of Monroe's instrumental "Ida Red.") Until now, however, Monroe's hesitation to reveal personal details has kept his personality as mysterious as one of the foggy mountaintops he sang about in his signature high lonesome tenor.

Bluegrass audiences required a rural, Southern authenticity from the "Father of Bluegrass," and Monroe was slow to deny their exaggerations. Smith, however, dismisses many of the backwoodsy stories that grew up around the Monroe myth, instead emphasizing truer biographical elements: loneliness, fear of abandonment, compulsiveness with women. Perhaps the book's main scholarly step forward is the depth of interviews and research the author conducted with the women in Monroe's life. Indeed, Smith remarks that "without exception," none of Monroe's platonic or romantic women friends had been interviewed before. These women reveal a second Bill Monroe, relaxed and gentle in private despite his imperious manner onstage.

Much of the book relies on the archives of the late Ralph Rinzler, a Smithsonian folklorist whose plans to write a Monroe biography were thwarted by his untimely death. Taking up where Rinzler left off, Smith employs solid scholarship and thorough fieldwork, yet he remains clearly in awe of his subject, ranking him as a "true giant of American music" on the level of Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Hank Williams, and Charles Ives. Can't You Hear Me Callin' is the first published attempt at a comprehensive, critical biography of Bill Monroe. Surely, it won't be the last--a testament to the enigmatic genius whose every note extended one of our most emotive and demanding musical genres. --Edward Skoog ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Bluegrass Music history at its best!
This Bill Monroe story was an excellent read.If your music interest includes Bluegrass Music, this book is a must read.The author has you living in the midst of the story.

Can't You Hear Me Callin
Richard Smith did an excellent job of making history entertaining in this book. He covers the ups and downs of Bill Monroe's life in a way that makes the reader want to continue reading. He cover's Bill's life from beginning to end, describing his friendships and feuds in a balanced manner. I would recommend this book to all bluegrass fans and others who have yet to become fans.

Can't you hear me callin'
This is an amazing story about one of Americas most influential musical icons. This is a must read for any fan of Bluegrass,or any student of music. The story of this mans life is so complicated, it's easy to forget you're reading a true story.

Father of Bluegrass- Blue Moon of Kentucky
The author gives an in depth look inside the life of Bill Monroe, our Father of Bluegrass. Monroe lived through trouble times through out his life and career. His "girlfriend" is buried about 30 miles from where my parents live.
Though he could be a gruff man, and hard to get along, he had a heart for children, and was known to give quarters to a lot of children that he came in contact with.
His love of music, baseball, and writing hundreds of songs that has become the staple for thousands of local and national bands.
I would have to say thatmy favorite songs are Rawhide, Get Up John, Can't You Hear Me Calling, and Kentucky Waltz.
Bill Monroe always said that he loved bluegrass so much, and he was glad that he invented it.
Monroe is a true American icon. With out him, would we have bluegrass? He innovated the drive and chop of the mandolin and created a new style of traditional music, named bluegrass; added with his high lonesome tenor.

A must for any bluegrass fan
"Can't You Hear Me Callin'" is a fascinating biography. There's so much more information in it about Monroe than one finds from most sources. I know half a dozen men who worked for Monroe. They tell great stories, but I wish I'd heard the stories in the context of this book. I would have seen more facets. It's especially nice to have a better sense of the importance of women and being appreciated by women and sex in Monroe's life. This is a drive found in many famous men, and the average person seems not to understand that it should not be used against them--it's partly a part of them and partly apart from them. Not that Smith gives us any juicy details. I for one am glad for these women who shared themselves with Monroe.

Even though Smith has drawn together a large amount of information most of us don't have access to, he could not include everything. Will there ever be a greater Monroe biography? Probably not. But, as an exampleof what there is around that might have been included, Bob Black's interesting hagiography "Come Hither to Go Yonder" is an entire book by a banjo player who worked with Monroe for two years about their relationship, yet Smith doesn't even mention Bob Black. So may there will be many more books. I for one would love to read a book by Julia LaBella about their life together. She was twenty-one, he sixty-five. Go Bill!

And if you question whether Bill Monroe's music is significant enough to transcend Monroe's faults (and there were many, and he paid for them all), buy the MCA four CD set that Monroe approved and listen to it a few times. Monroe was more of"the real thing" than anyone else ever in bluegrass. Not a mediocre cut in sight. ... Read more

Product Description
As Bill Monroe is commonly lauded as "the father of bluegrass music," his tunes are standard repertoire and should be studied and memorized by any serious student of bluegrass. This book is a collection of transcriptions in notation and tablature taken from classic instrumentals recorded over a span of 40 years, from the early 1940s to the early 1980s. It functions as a "fake book" for bluegrass students to learn the original melody or to study Monroe's playing style. The melodies were played by mandolin, fiddle, twin fiddles, or triple fiddles, and are grouped accordingly. Generally included with the fiddle melody is a transcription of the mandolin break. These transcriptions, along with the discography, will be an important resource for any student of bluegrass music. ... Read more

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These insider stories about Bill's experiences as "bass player to the stars" of folk, bluegrass, and acoustic music, are hilarious, insightful, sweet, thoughtful, humble, and generous in their real-life depictions of our best-loved entertainers. Here are true stories about Bill's playing string bass with Peter, Paul & Mary, pickin' bluegrass with Jerry Garcia, and concertizing with the Father of Bluegrass music, Bill Monroe. Aretha Franklin reveals yet another of her powers when Bill interviews her for Rolling Stone magazine. Bob Dylan is seen backstage, utterly lost, as he makes his way to his first gig in Philadelphia. And Stephane Grapelli, at age 74, on being introduced to the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia, admits that he is just grateful to be alive.

These stories show an inside view of the specific and rarefied culture of the folk musician, but also stand as pieces of literature, full-fledged stories of deep humanity and sensitivity that give us a tasty sampling of the stew of human interaction both on stage and off.

The book is richly illustrated with 35 graphics, drawing and photos. There is a beautiful portrait of Aretha Franklin by the world's most famous photographer, Annie Leibovitz, a drawing of Beach Blanket Babylon's Steve Silver by the late Al Hershfeld, and photos of Jerry Garcia by Jon Sievert. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

An engaging recollection of personal memories
Acoustic Stories is a unique and impressive anthology of true personal stories about musical legends such as Jerry Garcia, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, and many more as witnessed, experienced, and regaled by string bassist Bill Amatneek. An engaging recollection of personal memories, of tunes that transcend time, and offering contemporary readers with a tiny peek behind the surface of great entertainers, Acoustic Stories is most especially recommended for those legions of fans whose musical icons made and played decades of popular and unamplified music.

His stories are like picturesque mountain scenery
One of the first photos in "Acoustic Stories" shows author Bill Amatneek playing upright bass with Peter, Paul and Mary in 1979. At the end of the book, a photo shows the author with the Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band in 2003. Between these pictures are over 20 stories and 33 other photos that provide extraordinary recollections from this musician's years of professional experience. Amatneek refers to these stories as unamplified tales, largely because of his love of acoustic music. Moreover, he certainly needs no additional reinforcement, expansion or exaggeration of them to make his charming points. In fact, each story reads quickly, and they come across more as entertaining anecdotes that are both interesting and humorous. For the most part, they are based on real occurrences although the author's preface indicates that some are "told from their facts but to their hearts." Like picturesque mountain scenery, each story is suitable for framing. The author writes with a vivid freshness and vigor that capture his unique experiences.

Amatneek grew up in New York's Greenwich Village in the 1940s, and his connections eventually led to him becoming a "string-bass poppin', banjo-pickin' Philadelphia folkie." His short vignettes from the 1960s through the 1990s include tales about meeting Bob Dylan, being "used" as a prop by Mary Travers, interviewing Aretha Franklin, having Dionne Warwick sing "Happy Birthday" to him on his 21st birthday, and being inspired by Mimi Farina to make the world a better place. Throughout the book, the author intersperses a few song lyrics amidst the narrative.

Acoustic musicians, especially in the folk genre, typically include stories into their presentation. Most are based on personal experience and relate thoughtful and honest portrayals of life on the road and the people they meet along the way. Many of Amatneek's yarns revolve around well-known music personalities. In one situation, he might be auditioning tortoiseshell picks with Tony Rice in Paris. In another, he and the Rowan Brothers might be picking with Bill Monroe at the Wintergrass Festival in Tacoma, Wa. A couple of my favorites are about a panel discussion of the meaning of Monroe's song lyrics in "Little Girl and the Dreadful Snake." Other favorites are his description of the 3-ring circus of Beach Blanket Babylon, and the 50th anniversary of D-Day in 1994 in Ranville, France.

The emotional impacts of death creep into the stories. The author becomes introspective when talking about the passing of Mimi Farina, Kate Wolf, Jerry Garcia, Steve Gorn'sfather, Steve Silver, Al "Jazzbeaux" Collins, and the New Orleans horn player Buddy Bolden. Amatneek claims to be "basically shy," but this book shows, in writing, his more social and extrovert side. His "Acoustic Stories' are affectionately told, and anyone who can appreciate a few slices of music-related folklore will enjoy this book. Not only will you get to know the reserved bassist, author and storyteller better, but you'll get a taste of what it's been like for Bill Amatneek to cross paths and play with many luminaries in the music business. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

Fascinating and fun collection of musical tales
Bill Amatneek is accomplished musician and an equally accomplished storyteller, which is what makes this book such a great read. Just what what was it like to hang with Jerry Garcia? - well read on. Or plucking with Peter, Paul and especially Mary when they breezed through town. He talks about that, too, and even brings in Dion Warwick and an unexpected birthday serenade. His book is personal, musical, intelligent and full of back-stage scenes that you can only get through someone who's on the inside.

More thanjust Jerry Garcia
I bought the book for the Jerry Garcia and David Grissman stories but was pleased to find lots of great stories about musicians I did not know. This isn't a typical "fan" book but fans will like learning more about these famous, and not so famous, musicians from a backstage point of view. It's worth it for the Peter, Paul and Mary story alone. Sounds like this guy has had a lot of fun over the years!

Told with wit and sensitivity . . .
about an era and a scene that most people in my generation either see through rose-colored glasses or know only cursorily. A long list of people with famous names appear here, and are given faces, voices, and the quirky mannerisms that make them people, told by someone who has sat in the same room with them and breathed the same air with them.

Best of all, running through this work as steadily as a flowing river is a deep reverence for musical expression at its most personal, its most intimate. A treasure of a read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Soul of Growing
Dr. Hoffman has brought together a myriad of highly articulated statements offering insight into the heart and soul of graduating. The hallmark of every entry is a love of life, a call to the unselfish creative life,the conquest of fear,and of the goodness and nobility of serving others.

When one reads a Hoffman book one must be prepared to think deeply and to consider the well spring of your life. Every selection offers a taste of wisdom. Practicality is clearly stated and spirituality too. The Creative Spirit of Life can be seen hidden deeply in the words and pages of this splendid gift book.

If one wants to turn "Graduation Day" into a spiritual event that addresses the inmost heat and soul of a person,,,then this book is a true gift to the soul of the graduate.

It would be a wise "graduate" that considered the meaning of this marvelous little book and it would be a wise SOUL that offered this treasure as a gift to a graduate. I recomend it.

A Different Look at Birthdays
Birthdays are intensely personal events, some happy, others bittersweet. This book provides insights into how celebrities reacted to, celebrated, mulled over and contemplated their own birthdays or those of relatives and friends. Among the little-known tales: What Bob Dylan did on his 30th, Marilyn Monroe's "steamy" rendition of "Happy Birthday" to her "friend," JFK, the gift sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov bought for himself and the birthday poem Anne Frank's father wrote her while the family was hiding from the Nazis. It's a gift book that both entertains and puts perspective into birthdays. ... Read more

Product Description
Bill Monroe is so foundational to bluegrass music that the entire genre took its name from his band, the Blue Grass Boys. In "Come Hither to Go Yonder", Bob Black recounts his years spent as a member of that seminal band. While other work on Bill Monroe has been written from a historical point of view, "Come Hither to Go Yonder" is told from the perspective of a musician who was actually there. Filled with observations made from the unique vantage point of a man who has traveled and performed extensively with the master, this book is Bob Black's personal memoir about the profound influence that Monroe exerted on the musicians who have carried on the bluegrass tradition in the wake of his 1996 death.This volume also includes a complete listing of Bob Black's appearances with Monroe, his most memorable experiences while they worked together, brief descriptions of the more important musicians and bands mentioned, and suggestions for further reading and listening.Offering a rare perspective on the creative forces that drove one of America's greatest composers and musical innovators, "Come Hither to Go Yonder" will deeply reward any fans of Bill Monroe, of bluegrass, or of American vernacular music.Bob Black played banjo as one of Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys. He recorded with Monroe on the "Weary Traveler" album, and later played with Buck White and the Down Home Folks. He appears on a number of fiddle albums by Kenny Baker, and has performed with Ricky Skaggs, Ralph Stanley, Rhonda Vincent, Marty Stuart, Frank Wakefield, John Hartford, the Whites, and other artists. He currently lives near Iowa City, where he performs in Perfect Strangers, the Banjoy Band, and other groups. He has published articles in "Bluegrass Unlimited" and in 2002 received the Iowa Arts Council's Traditional Arts Award.Neil Rosenberg studies contemporary vernacular music traditions, including the music and lives of bluegrass, country and folk musicians in Canada and the United States. He is the author of "Bluegrass: A History". This is a volume in the series "Music in American Life". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Couldn't put it down 'til done
I've read a number of books about Bill Monroe over the years and this is the best.It is written by one who wore "the hat" and toured and recorded with Big Mon for two years.The reader benefits from an insider's perspective of what it was really like being around Monroe, not only working with him on the road and in the studio but even on his farm, mending fences and such.Bob Black is a good writer, serious and humorous at times and well worth reading. ... Read more

Product Description
Authentic mandolin transcriptions of these classics by the Father of Bluegrass: Blue Grass Breakdown * Blue Grass Special * Can't You Hear Me Calling * Goodbye Old Pal * Heavy Traffic Ahead * I'm Going Back to Old Kentucky * It's Mighty Dark to Travel * Kentucky Waltz * Nobody Loves Me * Old Crossroad Is Waitin' * Remember the Cross * Shine Hallelujah Shine * Summertime Is Past and Gone * Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong * Travelin' This Lonesome Road * True Life Blues. ... Read more

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Circa 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches.83 pages.October-November 1963. ... Read more

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Every field has its "boss man" - the one who sets the style and makes the rules. In bluegrass and early country music, the man is Bill Monroe. In the world of urban blues, the man is Muddy Waters. Using their own words and dozens of photographs, James Rooney compares and contrasts the careers of these two bossmen. Both grew up in remote rural areas. In his childhood, Muddy heard field hollers, church music, jug bands and the raw sound of the delta blues; for Bill Monroe, it was square dances, hymns, old country ballads and frenzied fiddling. And both men brought their music to the big cities: Bill to Nashville, Muddy to Chicago. But this is more than a book about music; it is a book about black and white America. In microcosm, it is almost a history of the country, setting up striking comparisons that cut deep into American heritage. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Boss Book
Like countless musician profiles, Bossmen utilizes a standard interview question and answer format; but it's as if Jim Rooney were the first writer to actually hear what these men were saying about their their lives, theirart and the cost they paid for their brilliance. The result is an extendedconversation with two American icons that reveals far more about each thanany work previously or subsequently. Rooney manages to honor the work andthe power of the men who created it without lapsing into carelessadoration. This is a great book about American music in particular,creativity in general. It was a crime that the work of Muddy Waters andBill Monroe was neglected for so long and it's a crime that Rooney's bookis out of print. ... Read more

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Chapters: Bill Monroe, Billie Joe Armstrong, Gilberto Silva, Richard Thompson, Jack White, Rory Gallagher, Steve Earle, Martie Maguire, Chris Thile, Nash the Slash, Chris Hillman, Sam Bush, Tim Reynolds, Dale Oliver, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Arjen Anthony Lucassen, Peter Buck, Vince Gill, Mark O'connor, John Craton, Mac Mcanally, Kevin Jonas, Marty Stuart, Emily Robison, Ricky Skaggs, David Grisman, David Lindley, Norman Blake, David Immerglück, Rhonda Vincent, Julian Koster, Biff Blumfumgagnge, Tim O'brien, Doyle Lawson, Paulo Miklos, Ron Kavana, Ric Sanders, Anita Cochran, Mark Klein, Carlo Munier, Tim Hart, Mike Marshall, Cheyenne Kimball, Willie P. Bennett, Shannon Lawson, Carl Jackson, U. Srinivas, Kristian Bush, Kix Brooks, Frank Wakefield, Tim Ware, Mike Compton, Amy Ray, Sharon Gilchrist, Megan Mullins, Max Johnston, Giuseppe Pettine, Stian Carstensen, Emily Saliers, Steve James, Tammy Rogers, Aubrey Haynie, Nigel Tufnel, Johnny "Man" Young, Peter Ostroushko, Peter Knight, Simon Mayor, Michael Detemple, Darrell Scott, Andy Statman, Fabio Machado, David Pendley, Jon Sholle, Robert Bowlin, Raffaele Calace, Snoozer Quinn, Noah Gordon, Mark Bryan, Karen Mal, Séamus Egan, Armandinho, Bryan Sutton, Yank Rachell, Clifton Hyde, Roland White, Stuart Duncan, Charley Rappaport, Arto Järvelä, Pierre Marchand, the Severin Sisters, Pete Zorn, Jesse Brock, Tom Rozum, David Long, Jack Tottle, Sumru Agiryuruyen, Jacob Do Bandolim, Gerry Hundt, Ronnie Mccoury, Jesse Mcreynolds, Vernon Derrick, Dave Apollon, Pee Wee Lambert, Rex Yetman, John Duffey, Bobby Osborne, Alexandre Menezes, Fiddlin' Joe Martin, Jimmy Ryan. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 507. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt:Appearances (Goals). National team caps and goals correct as of 9 September 2009Gilberto Aparecido da Si...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=1296559 ... Read more

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Kapitel: Grateful Dead, Bill Monroe, Dixie Chicks, the Stanley Brothers, Flatt and Scruggs, Mac Wiseman, Jimmy Martin, Doc Watson, Lester Flatt, Bernie Leadon, Earl Scruggs, Buzz Busby, Grateful Dawg, Wade Mainer, Asylum Street Spankers, Don Reno, Ricky Skaggs, Tony Rice, Peter Rowan, Gordon Terry, Alison Krauss, Rose Maddox, Edgar Meyer, Kentucky Colonels, Bill Reid, Herb Pedersen, Old and in the Way, Bill Clifton, Maybelle Carter, Bill Keith, J. D. Crowe, Homer Sherrill, Clarence White, Charlie Monroe, Bill Flagg, Suwanee River Jamboree, the Rowan Brothers, Infamous Stringdusters, Béla Fleck, Vern ... Read more

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Commentary (music and lyrics not included).Chapters: Blue Moon of Kentucky, Orange Blossom Special, Cotton Fields, Can the Circle Be Unbroken, Molly and Tenbrooks. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 25. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: "Blue Moon of Kentucky" is a waltz written in 1946 by bluegrass musician Bill Monroe and recorded by his band, The Blue Grass Boys. The song has since been recorded by many artists, including Elvis Presley. "Blue Moon of Kentucky" is the official bluegrass song of Kentucky. In 2002, Monroe's version was one of 50 recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. In 2003, CMT ranked "Blue Moon of Kentucky" #11 on its 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music. Bill Monroe wrote the song in 1946, recording it for Columbia Records on September 16. It was released in early 1947. At the time, the Bluegrass Boys included vocalist and guitarist Lester Flatt and banjoist Earl Scruggs, who would later form their own bluegrass band, the Foggy Mountain Boys. Both Flatt and Scruggs performed on the recording, although Bill Monroe supplied the vocals on this song. The song, described as a "bluegrass waltz", had become a nationwide hit by 1947 and also became enormously popular with other bluegrass, country, and early rockabilly acts. Although the song was revered by the Grand Ole' Opry and others, Carl Perkins played an uptempo version of this song in his early live performances. In 1954, The Stanley Brothers recorded a version of the song using Presley's 4/4 arrangement with bluegrass instrumentation, neatly bridging the stylistic gap between Monroe's and Presley's approaches. Bill Monroe subsequently rerecorded and performed the song using a mixture of the two styles, starting the song in its original 3/4 arrangement, the...http://booksllc.net/?id=2088377 ... Read more

Product Description
Cover features Bill with King Wilkie. Souvenir from WSM Radio. Few black and white photographs. Contents include: The Shining Path Tenbrooks & Molly, Keep On the Sunnyside, Mother's Only Sleeping, Mansions For Me, Kentucky Waltz, Footprints In the Snow and many more. ... Read more

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This book is an inside look at the life of the legendary William (Bill) Smith Monroe. I will show pictures of his life on- and offstage and at home on his farm in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. ... Read more

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