Bill Monroe and The Bluegrass Boys created a sound that is at the core of bluegrass music. The Sons of Bluegrass will showcase that meaningful musical history in concert at 7 p.m., Friday, June 14, at the Blue Ridge Music Center.
The center is located at milepost 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Galax.
The concert is presented by The Crooked Road as part of the Mountains of Music Homecoming, a nine-day event celebrating the music and culture of Southwest Virginia. It will be held in the outdoor amphitheater at the base of Fisher Peak, and there will be several pre-concert activities in the indoor theater beginning at 5 p.m.
Legendary mandolinist, singer, and songwriter Bill Monroe was nicknamed “the Father of Bluegrass” for his pioneering role in the development of the bluegrass style and repertoire. Not only did he front the band in which the bluegrass sound evolved, but he also created much of the material that musicians have performed since the rise of bluegrass in the 1940s.
Monroe began his musical career in the 1930s, playing in the country brother duo the Monroe Brothers, alongside his brother Charlie. He was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1970. He was also selected to receive the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993 and the National Medal of Arts in 1995.
Monroe considered his band, The Bluegrass Boys, a training ground for musicians. The lengthy list of the former members is a Who’s Who of bluegrass artists. The band was comprised of an ever-changing lineup, and more than 150 musicians performed as Blue Grass Boys during many decades of touring and recording. This concert brings together five former Blue Grass Boys: fiddlers Billy Baker and Robert Bowlin, guitarist/vocalist Tom Ewing, banjoist Butch Robins, and bassist Doug Hutchens. Also appearing in this Monroe tribute concert will be Mike Compton, who will fill in on mandolin for the master musician who so influenced him.
Preconcert activities include a presentation on Bill Monroe by guitarist Tom Ewing based on his book, “Bill Monroe: The Life and Music of the Blue Grass Man,” at 5 p.m. in the Music Center’s auditorium. At 5:30 p.m., the artists will gather in the auditorium to share stories about their time helping Monroe create bluegrass music. Galax JAM will perform from 6:15 to 6:45 p.m.
Concessions will be available during the concert. Concertgoers are also invited to bring picnics and beverages (no alcohol).
Tickets are $20, $10 children 12 and younger, available at BlueRidgeMusicCenter.org or mtnsofmusic.com, (866) 308-2773, ext. 212. Parking is free.
For schedules, tickets and complete information about Mountains of Music Homecoming concerts and cultural events, visit mtnsofmusic.com.
