Bill Monroe has been a foundational figure of the bluegrass genre since he and his band the Blue Grass Boys began performing together in the late 1930s. Often called the “Father of Bluegrass,” Monroe has since had a major influence on artists like Elvis Presley, Ricky Skaggs, and every other bluegrass musician who embodies the genre’s original sound. Below, we revisit five of Monroe’s most notable songs.
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“Blue Moon of Kentucky”
Written by Monroe in 1945, “Blue Moon of Kentucky” is a bluegrass waltz that Monroe and his band first performed at the Grand Ole Opry in August 1945. Since its release in 1946 and its initial performance in 1945, the song has been covered by Presley, Paul McCartney, Vince Gill, Patsy Cline, Jerry Reed, and Ray Charles. Furthermore, in 2011, The Library of Congress added it to its National Recording Registry. In 2003, CMT ranked it No. 11 on the 100 best country songs of all time.
“Uncle Pen”
This Monroe song is one that pays homage to his late uncle, Pendleton Vandiver, and the musical influence the fiddle-playing uncle had on his career. Even though Monroe is credited with writing the song, the most well-known version is Skaggs’ 1985 rendition of the song, which scored him his ninth No. 1 single on the country charts. Though, Skaggs goes the extra mile to credit Monroe as he features him playing the character of Uncle Pen in the song’s music video. Other groups and musicians who have covered the tune include Phish, Porter Wagoner, and The Monkees.
“Footprints In the Snow”
This tune has been a bluegrass standard for nearly 100 years. The West Virginia Ramblers originally recorded the single in 1931 under the title “Little Foot Prints.” Subsequently, Cliff Carlisle recorded the song in 1939. Monroe would also record the track in 1945. He retitled the song to “Footprints In the Snow.” The song was later released in 1961 by Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys.
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“New Mule Skinner Blues”
This bluegrass staple was originally written by Jimmie Rodgers in 1930 and was titled “Mule Skinner Blues.” Later, with the help of George Vaughn Horton, Monroe rewrote some of the lyrics to the classic tune and also added “new” to the title. The half cover, half original song was Monroe’s first solo single and performance after he and his brotherly band, The Monroe Brothers, broke up in 1938.
“Kentucky Waltz”
“Kentucky Waltz” is Monroe’s most successful song when it comes to the charts. The track scored Monroe his highest-ranked song, peaking at No. 3 on the Country & Western Best Seller chart. The song was initially written in 1946 by Monroe. “Kentucky Waltz” has been covered by Paul Brewster, The Osborne Brothers, Eddy Arnold (reaching the No. 1 spot on the country charts), and Rosemary Clooney, whose version climbed to the No. 1 spot on the Cashbox pop chart.
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