Kenny Baker

(fiddle - 1957-1958, 1962-6/1963, 3/23/1968-7/1977, 9/1977-10/12/1984)
Photo by Jim Peva.

Born: 6/26/1926    Died: 7/8/2011

As a Blue Grass Boy: Kenny Baker was a Blue Grass Boy longer than anyone else. Monroe once said of him: "Kenny knows bluegrass music - there's never been a better one." He played with the Blue Grass Boys several times in the late 50s and early 60s, but each time left to return to steadier work. In 1968, with his children grown, he returned to music full-time. He was with Monroe for the next sixteen years, except for a three month hiatus in 1977 when he injured his hand in a hunting accident. He recorded with Bill many times; his fiddling was prominently featured on the "Uncle Pen" album, and in a rare role reversal, Monroe plays the sideman on Baker's solo album "Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe".

Recording Sessions: 12/15/1957, 2/25/1958, 3/19/1958, 3/20/1958, 3/21/1958, 4/8/1958, 11/23/1962, 12/6/1962, 12/10/1962, 3/20/1963, 3/27/1963, 11/14/1968, 3/26/1969, 4/29/1969, 10/28/1969, 11/25/1969, 12/17/1969, 1/19/1970, 3/26/1970, 12/2/1970, 12/3/1970, 1/13/1971, 1/15/1971, 1/20/1971, 3/14/1972, 3/15/1972, 3/21/1972, 3/10/1975, 3/11/1975, 3/12/1975, 5/4/1976, 10/20/1976, 10/21/1976, 1/24/1978, 1/30/1978, 2/8/1978, 2/3/1981, 12/23/1982, 1/6/1983, 1/26/1983, 1/27/1983, 2/1/1983, 2/22/1983, 4/20/1983, 5/4/1983

Before and After: Kenny Baker had recorded several solo albums as well as duets with dobro player Josh Graves while still with Bill Monroe. After leaving the band, he began touring and recording regularly with Graves, a partnership that continued until shortly before Graves passed away in 2006. Baker also performed and recorded solo and as part of the Masters (Baker, Graves, Eddie Adcock and Jesse McReynolds). His last solo album was "Spider Bit The Baby" in 2002.

Honors: SPBGMA Preservation Hall of Greats; National Heritage Award (1993); IBMA Hall of Honor (1999); Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Hall of Fame (2000)