I’m Going Back To Old Kentucky #51

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.

  • November 20, 2004 Charlie Cline passed away in Shadescrest Health Centre, Jasper, Alabama, after a long illness. He was 73.

A student of Fiddlin’ Arthur Smith, Cline was a member of the famed Lonesome Pine Fiddlers along with brothers Curly Ray and Ned, cousin Ezra and another Blue Grass Boy banjo player Larry Richardson.

Cline spent three years with Monroe, recording about 30 songs.

After leaving the Blue Grass Boys in 1952, Cline returned to the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers, playing with the Stanley Brothers, The Osborne Brothers, and Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys. In the mid-1980s, he worked with the Warrior River Boys.

Editor’s Note: It takes all kinds, department… I just want to share this note we received on Friday from a reader.

“I know I’m in a minority, but I have just about stopped going to your site because I’m so tired of the endless Bill Monroe junk. You’re doing this through Sept 2011? OK, see you in October of next year.”

Imagine visiting a bluegrass site and being so offended by Bill Monroe! So offended that you can’t even skip past the content that bothers them and read what doesn’t. As our dear Father might have said, “That ain’t no part of nothin’. “

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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.