Bluegrass: Origins

First off, a mistake must be addressed; the Bluegrass genre did not give rise to country music as this author had professed and believed. Quite the contrary, in fact, Bluegrass music can find its beginnings inside the genre of country music. According to the International Bluegrass Music Association's website, http://www.ibma.org/, the term stems from Bill Monroe when he formed his band entitled "Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys." This band's formation and "new sound" is considered to be where the birth of a genre occurred. Many can recall hearing the sound of Bill Monroe singing "Blue Moon of Kentucky," but for those that have not been exposed to his unique style of singing and blending of instruments such as the banjo, mandolin, stand-up bass, and fiddle, here is a performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffhqOy_A8KM.

 Bill Monroe with his signature instrument, the mandolin.

Many associate the "gelling" of the Bluegrass sound to have occurred with performer, Earl Scruggs. Scruggs, considered to be one of Monroe's protegees, formed the band "The Foggy Mountain Boys" in 1950. This band, comprised largely of former members from Monroe's entourage, experienced great success with Columbia records during the '50s and '60s. As with all types of music, they met with criticism for changes made to the traditional sound (primarily by Scruggs), and this eventually led to the band's break-up in 1969.

An effort will be made to seek out musicians of this genre to discover their thoughts on who is the true "Father of Bluegrass" as well as an attempt to discover the driving force behind the desire to continue the over half-a-century tradition filled genre of Bluegrass.

Sources and links for more information on this topic:
http://www.ibma.org/
http://www.roughstock.com/history/bill-monroe-and-bluegrass
http://www.spbgma.com/
http://www.bluegrassfestivalguide.com/

The Beginning

During this week the musical genre of bluegrass will be examined. This style of music is very prevalent in Appalachian culture and has generated a major field of study at East Tennessee State University. Each day this author will spend time listening to the popular bluegrass music in addition to seeking out different live shows that are held in the local community.

Bristol, Virginia is considered the birthplace of country music and is said to have its roots in bluegrass. A trip to the country music museum will be completed to extend the research efforts.