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COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group, COPYRIGHT 2005 Thomson Gale, a part of The Thomson Corporation
Monroe, Bill (1911-1996)
Seldom can a particular genre of music be credited to the vision and influence of a lone individual as is the case with Bill Monroe and Bluegrass. In a career spanning over half a century, "The Father of Bluegrass" created, popularized, and trained numerous practitionersBill Monroein this distinctly American style of music. While sobriquets such as "Creator of the Blues" lavished on W. C. Handy or "King of Rock and Roll" bestowed upon Elvis Presley are gleefully denounced by musicologists, few, if any, scholars challenge Monroe's supremacy in the development of the "high and lonesome sound," a blending of Anglo-Scottish-Irish fiddle tunes, Southern gospel singing, and the stylings of African-American bluesmen. Born in the isolated community of Rosine, Kentucky, Monroe combined these elements of his local culture into a new form of music, which would attract fans world wide.
For many people in rural areas, music served a dual function of preserving a heritage and providing entertainment. Monroe was clearly a product and eventually...
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