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.
- July 30, 1976 Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys appeared at The Berkshire Mountains Blue Grass Festival, a three day event at the 700-acre Merrilea Farms near Hillsdale close to the western Massachusetts/ New York state border.
- July 30, 1983 Bill Monroe headlined the Saturday show at the First Annual Ohio County’s ‘Bill Monroe’ Bluegrass Festival, Ohio County Park, Hartford, Kentucky.
- July 30, 1989 Recordings of concert in Germany while on tour – During a “lengthy, intense, and dramatic concert performance” at the Zur Neuen Heimat Restaurant, Streekermoor, Germany, Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys – Tom Ewing [guitar], Blake Williams [banjo], Tater Tate [fiddle] and Billy Rose [bass] – played My Sweet Blue-Eyed Darling, Old Home Town, Sugar Loaf Mountain, Mule Skinner Blues, Blue Moon of Kentucky, Southern Flavor, A Beautiful Life, The Old Brown County Barn, Uncle Pen, Cheyenne, Footprints In The Snow, My Little Georgia Rose, Walls of Time, Jerusalem Ridge, Raw Hide, Down Yonder, In The Pines, Bluegrass Breakdown, There’s An Old, Old House, I Saw The Light, On And On, Soldier’s Joy, Wayfaring Stranger, Molly And Tenbrooks, Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms, Sally Goodin’, So Long And Goodbye, John Henry and Wheel Hoss. The concert was recorded by Pieter Groenveld and Liz Meyer. *
- July 30, 1996 CD released – Tribute To Bill Monroe: Father Of Bluegrass (K-Tel 3642-2) Billy and Terry Smith **
* The recording of this concert was included on the Bear Family Records set Bill Monroe In Germany: Far Across the Blue Water (BCD-16624 EK), released on June 21, 2004.
** Tribute To Bill Monroe: Father Of Bluegrass, ?10 tracks
Track listing – Mule Skinner Blues, Put My Little Shoes Away, Jerusalem Ridge, Uncle Pen, Thank God For Kentucky, Walk Softly On This Heart Of Mine, He’ll Take You In, Scotland, Wicked Path Of Sin and Blue Moon of Kentucky.
The recordings of Mule Skinner Blues, Walk Softly On This Heart Of Mine and Blue Moon Of Kentucky were the last that Bill Monroe made. The session took place on February 21, 1996.
