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.
- April 16, 1949 Toy Heart (Columbia 20552) peaked at number 12 in the Billboard country singles music chart.
- April 16, 1995 Tatsuya Imai and Saburo Watanabe were presented with their “Blue Grass Boys” belt buckles in recognition of their bass playing during Bill Monroe’s 1984 tour of Japan. **
* The recording, backed with Blue Grass Breakdown, was released on March 14, 1949, first showed on the chart on April 16, 1949, and remained on the chart for one more week.
** The presentation was made by another former Blue Grass Boy, Butch Robins, who was participating in a charity bluegrass concert in Osaka, Japan.
