Bill Monroe Memorial Festival

The Bean Blossom Festival, later the Bill Monroe Memorial Festival, was an early bluegrass music festival held annually in Beanblossom, Indiana.[1] The Bean Blossom festival was known for its jam sessions including well-known bluegrass musicians.[2]

History

The Bean Blossom Festival was founded in 1966 by Bill Monroe, who is considered by many to be the originator of the bluegrass genre.[3]

In 1973, an album of live music, titled Bean Blossom, was recorded at the festival.[2] By 1974, about 20,000 people were attending the festival each year.[4][5]

Many well-known bluegrass musicians and bands have performed at the festival,[6] including the Dry Branch Fire Squad in 1979.[7]

By 1985, the Bean Blossom Festival was the biggest bluegrass festival in the United States.[8]

The festival hosts the induction ceremonies for Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Hall of Fame.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ Curtis W. Ellison (1995). Country Music Culture: From Hard Times to Heaven. University Press of Mississippi. p. 17. ISBN 978-0-87805-721-4.
  2. ^ a b Neil V. Rosenberg; Charles K. Wolfe (2007). The Music of Bill Monroe. University of Illinois Press. pp. 195–. ISBN 978-0-252-03121-2.
  3. ^ "Indiana at 200: Bean Blossom is synonym for bluegrass in Indiana". News-Sentinel, By Andrea Neal, November 15, 2016
  4. ^ Bill Thomas (1974). Tripping in America: off the beaten track. Chilton Book Publishing Company. p. 70. ISBN 978-0-8019-5772-7.
  5. ^ Indiana Festivals. Indiana University Press. 1 January 1976. p. 144. ISBN 978-0-253-14157-6.
  6. ^ "Bean Blossom 2015 – Day 4". Bluegrass Today, June 18, 2015 by Daniel Mullins
  7. ^ Thomas A. Adler (15 May 2011). Bean Blossom: The Brown County Jamboree and Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Festivals. University of Illinois Press. pp. 138–. ISBN 978-0-252-09544-3.
  8. ^ The Journal of Country Music. Vol. 10. Country Music Foundation. 1985.
  9. ^ Jeff Todd Titon; Bob Carlin (2002). American Musical Traditions: British Isles music. Schirmer Reference. p. 134. ISBN 978-0-02-865489-8.