I’m Going Back To Old Kentucky #263

From October 1, 2010 through to the end of September 2011, we will, each day, celebrate the life of Bill Monroe by sharing information about him and those people who are associated with his life and music career. This information will include births and deaths; recording sessions; single, LP and CD release dates; and other interesting tidbits. Richard F. Thompson is responsible for the research and compilation of this information. We invite readers to share any tidbits, photos or memories you would like us to include.

  • June 20, 1954 Stephen Randall ‘Randy’ Davis was born in Asheville, North Carolina. *
  • June 20, 1971 Bill Monroe and Lester Flatt are re-united on stage at Bill Monroe’s Fourth Annual Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival. Their feud had begun when Flatt left the Blue Grass Boys in 1948.
  • June 20, 2000 CD released – Monroe Brothers [Vol. 1] What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul? (Rounder Select 1073)  **
  • June 20, 2011 CD released – Bill Monroe – Father Of Bluegrass (Snapper’s Complete Country series SCOUNTCD007) ***

* Randy Davis joined the Blue Grass Boys in the summer of 1974 and remained with Bill Monroe until June 1979. He played bass and sang the baritone parts, as required.

He played at 18 recording sessions altogether, helping to cut material for The Weary Traveler, Body and Soul, Bluegrass Memories and Together Again albums, as well as the live LP Bean Blossom ’79.

Davis went with Monroe on tour to Japan (December 1974) and to Europe (April/May1975); where he played bass on the recordings released on the Far Across the Blue Water set (Bear Family Records BCD 16624 EK).

** Monroe Brothers [Vol. 1] What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul? 15 tracks

Track listing – My Long Journey Home, What Is Home Without Love, What Would You Give In Exchange? Nine Pound Hammer is Too Heavy, Little Red Shoes, On Some Foggy Mountain Top, Drifting Too Far from the Shore, New River Train/This World Is Not My Home, Watermelon Hangin’ on that Vine, On the Banks of the Ohio, Do you Call that Religion? God Holds the Future in His Hands, In My Dear Old Southern Home and You Got to Walk That Lonesome Valley.

*** Bill Monroe – Father Of Bluegrass, 26 tracks

Track listing – What Would You Give In Exchange? Mule Skinner Blues, Blue Yodel No 7, Rocky Road Blues, Blue Yodel No. 4, My Rose of Old Kentucky, Little Cabin Home On The Hill, Wicked Path of Sin, Blue Grass Breakdown, Molly And Tenbrooks, Travelin’ This Lonesome Road ,Uncle Pen, My Little Georgia Rose, Kentucky Waltz, I’ll Meet You In Church Sunday Morning, Raw Hide, Footprints In The Snow, In The Pines, Memories Of Mother And Dad, Get Up John, Blue Moon of Kentucky, Roanoke, On and On, A Fallen Star, Panhandle Country and Lonesome Wind Blues.

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About the Author

Richard Thompson

Richard F. Thompson is a long-standing free-lance writer specialising in bluegrass music topics. A two-time Editor of British Bluegrass News, he has been seriously interested in bluegrass music since about 1970. As well as contributing to that magazine, he has, in the past 30 plus years, had articles published by Country Music World, International Country Music News, Country Music People, Bluegrass Unlimited, MoonShiner (the Japanese bluegrass music journal) and Bluegrass Europe. He wrote the annotated series I'm On My Way Back To Old Kentucky, a daily memorial to Bill Monroe that culminated with an acknowledgement of what would have been his 100th birthday, on September 13, 2011.