(PR) It's not every day that a musical genre is born, and certainly not one that spreads and takes hold like Bluegrass music. Bill Monroe, the "Father of Bluegrass Music," would turn 100 years old in 2011. His life and legacy will be commemorated with the Bill Monroe 100th Birthday Celebration, a collection of festivals and events taking place throughout the year in and around Owensboro, Ky.
The Owensboro-Daviess County Convention & Visitors Bureau, promoters of the celebration, launched the Web site billmonroe100birthday.com to honor the legendary musical artist.
Searching for "ancient tones" to bring to his music, Bill Monroe created the style that came to be known as Bluegrass and something magical happened.
The combination of African-American Blues, southern Gospel, with fiddle and bagpipe from the British Isles, hill country dance romps and hot improvisational jazz riffs became a passionate, inspirational form of music loved by people all over the globe.
The billmonroe100thbirthday.com site is a comprehensive guide to the centennial celebration of Bill Monroe's life, listing the numerous events that will take place in Owensboro next September, the month of his birth.
Notable events include reunion performances by the Pioneers and the Bluegrass Boys at the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro on September 13, Monroe's birthday.
The Bill Monroe Birthday Party on the Lawn will take place September 13 in Rosine, Ky., where Monroe was born.
Additionally, billmonroe100thbirthday.com features a biography of Bill Monroe and numerous tidbits of his accomplished life. The site lists the numerous bluegrass festivals that will take place in Kentucky in 2011 a testimony to the heritage of Bill Monroe's creation.
An images section includes historic photographs and an art gallery of Bill Monroe-inspired fine art available to buy from the International Bluegrass Music Museum. The site also features a wealth of Web site links to further explore the Owensboro region and its traditions of bluegrass music and deliciously distinctive barbecue.
"Bill Monroe's creation has profoundly influenced modern music and the lives of people all over the world," said Karen Miller, Executive Director of the OwensboroDaviess County Convention and Visitor's Bureau. "Bluegrass music is undoubtedly one of the most valuable contributions to American culture, and we are proud to honor one of the great men to hail from Western Kentucky."
