A Tribute to Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys

In 1938, Bill Monroe and his brother Charlie broke up their successful duet act, the Monroe Brothers. That same year Bill formed his own band, the Blue Grass Boys. In 1939 he joined the Grand Ole Opry and was a member until his death in 1996. For more than half a century, being a Blue Grass Boy was the crowning achievement of many musicians' careers; for others, a stepping stone to establishing their own bands. This site is intended as a tribute to all the musicians who contributed to the creation of Bill Monroe's music, as well as an information resource for research.

The musicians are divided into several groups:

Regular: Musicians who were hired as regular members of the band on an ongoing basis. You can view the list of regular Blue Grass Boys sorted any of several ways:

Fill-in: Musicians who served as temporary Blue Grass Boys, for a single show or a short period.

Studio: Studio musicians who appeared on recordings only.

Unconfirmed: Musicians that have been referred to as former Blue Grass Boys, or having toured with Bill Monroe, but about whom I don't yet have enough information to say for sure. If anyone can offer definitive information or documentation for any of these, please contact me.

To find someone by name if you're not sure which group they are in, use the Master Index.

To see who played or recorded with the band at a particular time, including fill-ins and studio musicians, use the Search by Date page.

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