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.
- December 11, 1936 Mitchell Land was born in Koufman County, Texas. Land played with the Blue Grass Boys for a short time in the mid.1960s.
When Byron Berline was playing fiddle for Bill Monroe, Mitch Land, who met Berline through Alan Munde, played guitar on some of the same dates. However, Land’s primary instrument was the mandolin.
Later he was one of three Dallas area bluegrass musicians – with his brother Louis ‘Bosco’ Land and Harless ‘Tootie’ Williams – who, in 1965, joined up with Munde to form the Stone Mountain Boys, a band that had an album released on Briar-Tacoma Records.
In 1975 Land moved from Texas to Wyoming where he went to work in the oil business.
A virtuoso picker, who could play blues licks like Monroe or cross-pick like Jesse McReynolds, Land died in 2003 of heart problems and other complications.
