© 2025 WFAE

Mailing Address:
WFAE 90.7
P.O. Box 896890
Charlotte, NC 28289-6890
Tax ID: 56-1803808
90.7 Charlotte 93.7 Southern Pines 90.3 Hickory 106.1 Laurinburg
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Bill Monroe On Mountain Stage

Bill Monroe performing live on <em>Mountain Stage</em> in 1989.
Mountain Stage
Bill Monroe performing live on Mountain Stage in 1989.

It's no exaggeration to call Bill Monroe one of the most influential and important musicians America has ever produced. He's the undisputed father of bluegrass music: The style itself was created by and named for his band, The Blue Grass Boys, in the late '40s.

Along with Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and The Stanley Brothers, Monroe — who died in 1996 — created a sound as distinctive as any musical genre in the world. Over the years, Monroe's bands have included a true "Who's Who" list of bluegrass and country musicians. His influence has woven itself into country, folk, rock and jazz.

It was late in Bill Monroe's career — May 21, 1989, to be exact — when he made this visit to Mountain Stage, but his spirit and energy were as strong as ever. "Give me a call if you ever need a mandolin player in the Mountain Stage band," he told host Larry Groce. There's no doubt he would have been up to the task.

Set List

  • "My Sweet Blue Eyed Darlin'"
  • "Muleskinner"
  • "Southern Flavor"
  • "A Beautiful Life"
  • "Uncle Pen"
  • "Blue Moon Of Kentucky"
  • "Sugarloaf Mountain"
  • "Workin' Of A Building"
  • "Rawhide"
  • "Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms"
  • Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

    Tags