Bean Blossom

by Adler, Thomas A.

• ISBN13: 9780252078101
• ISBN10: 0252078101
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-05-15
• Publisher: Univ of Illinois Pr

Summary

Bean Blossom, Indiana--near Brown County State Park and the artist-colony town of Nashville, Indiana--is home to the annual Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival, founded in 1967 by Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass. Widely recognized as the oldest continuously running bluegrass music festival in the world, this June festival's roots run back to late 1951, when Monroe purchased the Brown County Jamboree, a live weekly country music show presented between April and November each year. Over the years, Monroe's festival featured the top performers in bluegrass music, including Jimmy Martin, Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, the Goins Brothers, the Stanley Brothers, and many more. Thomas A. Adler's history of Bean Blossom traces the long and colorful life of the Brown County Jamboree and Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Festival. Adler discusses the development of bluegrass music, the many personalities involved in the bluegrass music scene, the interplay of local, regional, and national interests, and the meaning of this venue to the music's many performers--both professional and amateur--and its legions of fans.

Author Biography

Thomas A. Adler is a folklorist, banjoist, radio show host, and the former executive director of the International Bluegrass Music Museum. He lives in Lexington, Kentucky, and first attended Bean Blossom in 1968.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Introduction: Rural Country Music Parks	p. xv
Brown County History and Roots	p. 1
Origins of the Brown County Jamboree, 1939-41	p. 12
The Rund Family's Brown County Jamboree, 1941-51	p. 21
Bill Monroe's Brown County Jamboree Park, 1952-57	p. 48
Survivals, Revivals, and Arrivals, 1958-66	p. 66
Building the Festivals, 1967-68	p. 90
The Festival Becomes a Landmark, 1969-71	p. 108
The Festival's Golden Age, 1972-82	p. 123
Festival People and Lore	p. 145
Bill and James Monroe's Festival Park, 1983-97	p. 159
Renaissance, Continuity, and Change, 1998 and After	p. 179
Notes	p. 191
List of Interviews	p. 209
Bibliography	p. 213
Index	p. 221
Illustrations follow page	p. 122
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