Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys

Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys

This is a listing of performers who have been a member of the Blue Grass Boys. To qualify for this list, someone would have to have been on Bill Monroe’s payroll and played at least one performance as a Blue Grass Boy. If you find errors or omissions, please email us.

The information for this listing is from “America’s Music Bluegrass” by Barry Willis and Bill Monroe’s Museum & Bluegrass Hall of Fame with contributions from Paul Birch, Stewart Evans, Chip Jackson, James Moss, Jim Peva, Troy Pennie and others.

  • Eddie Adcock | Banjo | 1958
  • Jim Andrews| Tenor Banjo| 1945
  • Dave “Stringbean” Akeman | Fiddle, Comedy | 1942-1945
  • Steve Arkin | Banjo | 6-8/1964
  • Bobby Atkins | Banjo | 1960
  • Roger Aycock | Bass | 1984
  • Billy Baker | Fiddle | 1964
  • Kenny Baker | Fiddle | ′50s, early ′60s, 1969-1984
  • Larry Beasley | Banjo | 1-6/1977
  • Byron Berline | Fiddle | 1967
  • Bob Black | Banjo | 1974-1976
  • James Bowers | Banjo | 10/1951, Fiddle early ′50s
  • Robert Bowlin | (Last Fiddle Player) Fiddle  | 1993-1996
  • Bill Box | Guitar | 1973-1974
  • Andy “Bijou” Boyette | Comedy | 1945
  • Thurman “Curly” Bradshaw | Guitar, Harmonica | 1945
  • Carlos Brock | Guitar |′50s
  • Frank Buchanan | Guitar | 1960-1963
  • Jimmy Campbell| Fiddle, Bass | 1990s
  • Rick Campbell | Fiddle, Bass | 1993, 1994
  • Paul “Sharon” Charon (real last name Clothier) |Guitar, Bass | mid – late ′60s
  • Gene Christian | Fiddle, Bass | 1949-1950
  • Porter Church | Banjo 1959 | Guitar | 1960s
  • Manuel (Old Joe) Clark | Banjo | 8/1951
  • Vassar Clements | Bass, Fiddle | 1959, 1961, 1967
  • Charlie Cline | Fiddle, Banjo | 1954
  • Jack Cooke | Bass, Guitar | 1959
  • Noah Crase | Banjo | 1954, 1956
  • Dana Cupp | (Last Banjo Player)Banjo | 1991-1996
  • Cleo Davis | (First Guitar Player)Guitar | 1938-1940
  • Hubert Davis | Banjo | 1955-1956(?)
  • Randy Davis | Bass | 1974
  • David Deese | Banjo | 1962
  • Bobby Diamond | Banjo | 1960s
  • Dwight Dillman | Banjo | 1974
  • Joe Drumright | Banjo | 1958, 1960, 1964
  • Bill Duncan | Guitar | 1957
  • Glen Duncan | Fiddle | 1985-1987
  • Smilin’ Jim Eanes | Guitar | 1948
  • Tony Ellis | Banjo | 2/1960
  • Tom Ewing | Guitar | 1986-1996
  • Mike Feagan | Fiddle | 1987–1988
  • Lester Flatt | Guitar | 1945-1948
  • Howard “Howdy” Forrester | Fiddle | 1942-1943, 12/1945-3/1946
  • Joe Forrester | Bass | 12/1945- 3/1946
  • Sally Ann Forrester | Accordian | 1943-1946
  • Billy Joe Foster | Fiddle | 1987
  • Robert “Bob” Fowler | Guitar | 1973
  • Randall Franks | Fiddle, Bass | 1984-1985
  • Lamar Grier | Banjo 
  • Jay Hugh Hall | Guitar | 1942-?
  • John C. Hartford | Banjo | 1957
  • R.C. Harris | Banjo | 1/71-4/71, 6/81-8/81
  • Mark Hembree | Bass | 1979-1985
  • Bobby Hicks | Fiddle, Banjo, Bass | 1954-1960
  • Jack Hicks | Banjo | 4/1971-9/1973
  • Bill Holden | Banjo, Guitar | 9/1976-1/1977, 6-7/1977
  • Lonnie Hoppers | Banjo, Guitar | 10/1962-1963
  • Raymond Huffmaster | Bass | 1979
  • Doug Hutchens | Bass, Banjo | 1971
  • Robert (Bob) E. Jamieson | (Original Member) ? 1938 to Nov 16, 1938
  • Wayne Jerrolds | Bass | 1989
  • Bob Jones | Guitar | 1976
  • Dan Jones | Guitar | 1970-1971
  • Vic Jordan | Banjo | 8/1967-1/1969
  • Bill Keith | Banjo | 2/1963
  • Gregg Kennedy | Bass | 1973-1974
  • Doug Kershaw | Guitar | 1957
  • Paul Kovac | Banjo | 1981
  • Mark Kuykendall | Bass | Early ′90s
  • Mitchell Land | Guitar | 2/1966-3/1967
  • Jake Landers | Guitar | 1962-1963
  • Ralph Lewis | Guitar | 1974-1976 
  • Wayne Lewis | Guitar | 1976-1986
  • Don Lineberger | Banjo | 1965
  • Tex Logan | Fiddle | 1950s-1960s
  • Gene Lowinger | (First Yankee Fiddler)Fiddle | 1964-1965
  • Ted Lundy | Banjo | late ′50s ?
  • Rudy Lyle | Banjo | 1949, 1951-1953, 1955-1956
  • Tommy Magness | Fiddle | 1940-1941
  • Jim Marotta | Banjo | 11/1973-9/1974
  • Benny Martin | Fiddle | 1948-?
  • Jimmy Martin | Guitar | 1949-1951, 1952-1953
  • Bessie Lee Mauldin | Bass | 1950s-1960s
  • Ed Mayfield | Guitar | 1951-1958
  • Jimmy Maynard | Guitar | 1961
  • Del McCoury | Banjo 1963 | Guitar 1964
  • Curtis McPeake | Banjo | 1960
  • Vernon McQueen | Guitar | 1960
  • Ralph “Joe” Meadows | Fiddle | 1957
  • John Miller | Spoons, Bones, Jug, Comedy | 1938
  • Birch Monroe | Bass | 1945-1948
  • James Monroe | Guitar, Bass | 1965-1972
  • Johnny Montgomery | Bass | 1986-1987 
  • Clyde Moody | Guitar | 1940-1941 & 1942-1945
  • Dale Morris | Fiddle | 1985
  • Alan O’Bryant | Banjo | 1978
  • Sonny Osborne | Banjo | 1952
  • Ben Pedigo | Banjo | 9-11/1973
  • Robert Lee (Buddy) Pennington | Banjo | 1959
  • Jackie Phelps | Banjo, Guitar | 1948
  • Joel Price | Bass | 1948-?
  • Pete Pyle | Guitar | 1941-1942
  • Don Reno | Banjo | 1948-1949
  • Larry Richardson | Banjo | 1951-1953
  • Butch Robins | Banjo | 8/1977-6/1981
  • Billy Rose | Bass | 1989
  • Sandy Rothman | Banjo, Guitar | 1964
  • Peter Rowan | Guitar | 1964-1967
  • South Salyer | Guitar | 1951
  • Earl Scruggs | Banjo | 1945-1948
  • Jim Shumate | Fiddle |1943-1945
  • Bobby Smith | Guitar | 1960
  • Charlie Smith | Fiddle, Guitar | 1957-1960
  • Roger Smith | Fiddle, Banjo | 1956
  • Tim Smith | Fiddle | 1981
  • Jim Smoak | Banjo | 1954
  • Earl Sneed | Banjo | 12/1970-1/1971
  • Paul Squires | Bass | 1984
  • Carter Stanley | Guitar | 1951
  • Guy Stevenson | Bass | 1973
  • Travis Stewart | Guitar | 1971
  • Don Stover | Banjo | 1957
  • Harold Streeter | Banjo | late ′50s?
  • Chick Stripling | Comedy, Buck Dancing | 1956
  • Joe Stuart | Banjo, Bass, Fiddle, Guitar, Mandolin| 1955, 1957, 1959, 1964
  • Clarence “Tater” Tate | Fiddle, Bass | 1956, 1984, 1994 
  • Merle “Red” Taylor | Fiddle | 1950-1958
  • Gordon Terry | Fiddle | 1950s-1960s
  • Howard Watts (Cedric Rainwater) | Bass, Comedy | 1944-1948, 1951
  • Bill Egbert Wessbrooks (Cousin Wilbur) | Bass | 1940-1944
  • L. E. White | Fiddle | 1953
  • Roland White | Guitar | 1967-1969
  • Benny Williams | Fiddle, Guitar | 1967
  • Blake Williams | Banjo | 7/1981 – 9/1991
  • Tex Willis | Guitar | 1945
  • Jullan “Winnie” Winston | Banjo | 1964
  • Chubby Wise | Fiddle | 1943, 1945-1948
  • Mac Wiseman | Guitar | 1948-1949
  • Art Wooten | (First Fiddle Player)Fiddle | 1938-1940, 1941-1942
  • Rual Holt Yarbrough | Banjo | 1969-1970
  • Bill Yates | Bass | 1969