50th
Bill Monroe
~ by Mark Blackwell
I
am terrible at remembering anniversaries— I’ m a man. But this year is special. June, 2016 marks the occasion of the 50 th annual Bill Monroe Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival. That makes the Bean Blossom festival the oldest continuously running Bluegrass music festival in the world and earns it a“ don’ t miss” status on my calendar.
Mr. Bill Monroe, the father of Bluegrass music, purchased the Brown County Jamboree music park back in 1952 and booked country music acts in the big old Jamboree barn that used to sit about where the Museum is located. Mr. Bill and the Bluegrass Boys played at the park several times a year and other Bluegrass oriented bands played there.
Top: Doyle Lawson, above: Del McCoury. photos by Cindy Steele
Many of the Grand Ole Opry stars of the 1950s would stop by when they were touring. A weekly square dance was held in the barn for many years. The first official Bluegrass festival was held in 1967.
That first festival was a puny affair compared to the one coming up in June. It wasn’ t even called a festival. Monroe advertised it as a“ Big Blue Grass Celebration”. It lasted two days and boasted five named bands. By comparison, the 2016 festival goes on for eight whole days, from June 11 through June 18, with more than sixty-five top-notch Bluegrass acts.
This year’ s line-up include a cadre of folks who have been in the business for more than fifty years like the Del McCoury Band( Del was a Bluegrass Boy back around 1960), Jesse McReynolds( of Jim and Jesse fame) and the Virginia Boys, the Dry Branch Fire Squad, Bobby Osborne and Rocky Top Express, and a lot more.
Top acts such as the Grascals, James King, Dailey and Vincent, The Nashville Bluegrass Band, David Davis and the Warrior River Boys will perform. About every Bluegrass band worth their salt will be there for this historic occasion.
You will hear everything from traditional, old-time Bluegrass to“ Newgrass” and Bluegrass Gospel all served up with consummate musicianship.
And if you are a musician there are workshops for the banjo, guitar, mandolin, bass, fiddle, and harmony singing taught by festival headliners. Once, I even attended a session on how to work around one microphone like the old traditional bands. It’ s certainly not hard to find other folks to jam with in the parking lot or camp sites. So don’ t forget to bring your own“ axe” with you.
30 Our Brown County May / June 2016