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

Elder brother to Bill, Charlie Monroe had a long career of his own. He started performing with brothers Birch and Bill in the 1930s, and then as a duo act with Bill, known as the Monroe Brothers. The two went separate ways in 1938—Bill to the Grand Ole Opry and stardom and Charlie to smaller venues with his band, the Kentucky Pardners. The Pardners included several musicians who went on to great success, including Lester Flatt, who left Charlie to work for brother Bill, and Ira Louvin, who later teamed with his brother Charlie as the Louvin Brothers. Charlie Monroe came out of retirement in the early 1970s to play bluegrass festivals, until his death in 1975.