Bill Monroe

William 'Bill' Smith Monroe (13 September 1911 - 9 September 1996) was an American mandolinist, singer, and songwriter who created the style of music known as bluegrass.

Bill & Charlie Monroe

Quotes

• That ain't no part of nothin'.
• It ain't only the colored folks has the blues; there's many a white man that's had 'em.
  • Can't You Hear Me Calling: The Life of Bill Monroe, Father of Bluegrass (2009) by Richard Smith

• After Charlie [Charlie Monroe, Bill's brother] and me broke up, I was searching for a name for my group. And I wanted a name from the state of Kentucky. Before I come to WSM in Nashville - I started on WWNC, Asheville - why, I'd already decided on using the name "bluegrass," because that's what they'd call Kentucky, the Blue Grass State. So I just used "Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys," and that let people throughout the country know I was from Kentucky, saved a lot of people from having to ask me where I was from. Governor Ford, he claims I've done more than any one man for Kentucky - every time I use the word "bluegrass" it leads back to the state.

• (When asked who the three finest old time guitarists were) Well, I would have to pick Travis, you know; I think he's a great man with his music, and there's been many a man that's copied from Merle. You know, they say he learned from a man in Kentucky. Well, I know this Mose Rager he learned from, he learned from Arnold Shultz, the man I speak of, a colored man, in playing the blues. So I think it all leads back to this old colored man back in Kentucky.

• The word "hillbilly", I've never liked that, and I've never used that in my music.
  • The Bill Monroe Reader (2000) edited by Tom Ewing

• I was brought up the best way that I could be brought up with what we had to do with. I could have had a better education, and I could have had better clothes to wear to school. I could have had a better chance, you know. But if I'd had the best education in the world, I might have not played music.
  • As quoted by Bradley Klein and Stephanie Coleman of NPR (September 12, 2011) [1]

Quotes about Bill Monroe

• Bill, in some ways, he was very inarticulate about his feelings. In other ways, he was very profound about his feelings. And when you got him into a certain mood where he was being more introspective, he really could be very profound, I felt.
  • Alice Gerrard, as quoted by Bradley Klein and Stephanie Coleman of NPR (September 12, 2011) [2]