Bluegrass Music Museum
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| Industry | Museums or Libraries |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Bluegrass Music |
| Location | Owensboro, KY, United States |
| Links | Audio Clip |
| Introduction | Bluegrass is the official State Music of Kentucky, and Bill Monroe's "Blue Moon of Kentucky" shares with Stephen Foster's "My Old Kentucky Home" the honorable distinction of being the official Kentucky State Songs. The infectiously energetic style of dance that grew up around bluegrass and old time music is clogging, the official Kentucky State Dance. This museum, established to preserve the history of the music Mr. Monroe created, is located 30 minutes from the little town of Rosine, Kentucky, and Jerusalem Ridge, the homeplace where he was born and grew to manhood, and where he and members of his family now rest in peace. The International Bluegrass Music Museum is located in the RiverPark Complex at the foot of "the blue bridge" in downtown Owensboro, Kentucky. As you draw near, you'll hear the sounds of bluegrass music emanating from the museum's radio station, RBI, with audio speakers taking the music to the streets. Only a few hundred feet from the museum's entrance, the sound of music drifts downstream via the mighty Ohio River, the subject of more than a few memorable bluegrass songs. |
| Interests | The museum currently has 22,000 square feet of developed exhibit and office space. There are plans to renovate its remaining 11,000 square feet (the museum’s third floor), with the goal being to move the offices upstairs and develop existing office space into new exhibit rooms. The International Bluegrass Music Museum has both permanent and changing exhibits focusing on the bluegrass community, its festivals, concerts and events. |
| Favorite music | In the late 1930s, Bill Monroe took the stage with what became known as his signature high lonesome sound. He and his band, "The Blue Grass Boys," forged a mighty confluence of sound... including Appalachian mountain music, rural "old time" string playing, folk ballads, blues, African stomp, and black and white gospel to introduce a new style of music which became known as bluegrass in the 1950s. It took its name from fans referring to Mr. Monroe's band; Bill,in turn, named his band for his home state of Kentucky, known as "The Bluegrass State." Once--and still--known as the bluegrass state for the gorgeous horse farms planted in bluegrass that occupy many thousands of acres in the central part of the state, Kentucky is now known as the bluegrass state just as commonly for this, the indigenous music of its people. While popular since the 1940s, bluegrass enjoyed an immense resurgence with the release of the movie, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" in the year 2000. The International Bluegrass Music Museum is the world's only facility dedicated to the history and preservation of the international history of bluegrass music. Mission The mission of the International Bluegrass Music Museum is to develop and maintain an environment in which people of all ages can discover the richness of bluegrass music. |