Bill Monroe
Take It Easy Ranch, Callaway, Maryland, 1973

Monroe (1911–1996) was one of the genuine legends of American music. In the 1930s, he took traditional country music to a totally new place, adding energy and style and creating what we now know as bluegrass music. Past band members went on to great success of their own: Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Del McCoury, and so many more. But his influence went beyond bluegrass music. Elvis Presley’s first single on Sun Records in 1955 featured a blues number ("That's All Right Mama" by Big Boy Crudup) on one side and a bluegrass tune ("Blue Moon of Kentucky" by Bill Monroe) on the other—a blending of black and hillbilly music that became known as rock-and-roll.