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On the Bus with Bill Monroe: My Five-Year Ride with the Father of Blue Grass
A backstage audition led Mark Hembree into a five-year stint (1979–1984) as the bassist for Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys. Hembree’s journey included playing at the White House and on the acclaimed album Master of Bluegrass. But it also put him on a collision course with the rigors of touring, the mysteries of Southern culture, and the complex personality of bandleader-legend Bill Monroe. Whether it’s figuring out the best time for breakfast (early) or for beating the boss at poker (never), Hembree gives readers an up-close look at the occasionally exalting, often unglamorous life of a touring musician in the sometimes baffling, always colorful company of a bluegrass icon.
The amusing story of a Yankee fish out of water, On the Bus with Bill Monroe mixes memoir with storytelling to recount the adventures of a Northerner learning new ways and the Old South.
The amusing story of a Yankee fish out of water, On the Bus with Bill Monroe mixes memoir with storytelling to recount the adventures of a Northerner learning new ways and the Old South.
- GenresMusic
314 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 26, 2022
9 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 22, 2023
An endlessly enjoyable, always engaging ride. This is the type of bluegrass book I always wanted but never thought I'd see. As an account of mundane, weird, and wild events on the road with one of the most colorful band leaders in history, this book could well-appeal to people who aren't bluegrass fans but want an entertaining time.
Mark Hembree writes in a humorous, sometimes flippant style that appealed to my tastes.
He provides a fast-reading book of up-close, personable experiences with Bill Monroe, Kenny Baker, and the rest of the Blue Grass Boys. The stories are often hilarious; it took WILLPOWER to refrain from laughing during my lunch breaks in the office. I'm grateful for biographies and never complain to books providing broad explanations of someone's life, but I LIVE for narrations of these day-to-day personable moments.
I've read all published memoirs from ex-Blue Grass Boys. They're all different. Each provides a different lens. And all, for bluegrass enthusiasts, are a great way to experience the inner world of the Father of Bluegrass.
Mark Hembree writes in a humorous, sometimes flippant style that appealed to my tastes.
He provides a fast-reading book of up-close, personable experiences with Bill Monroe, Kenny Baker, and the rest of the Blue Grass Boys. The stories are often hilarious; it took WILLPOWER to refrain from laughing during my lunch breaks in the office. I'm grateful for biographies and never complain to books providing broad explanations of someone's life, but I LIVE for narrations of these day-to-day personable moments.
I've read all published memoirs from ex-Blue Grass Boys. They're all different. Each provides a different lens. And all, for bluegrass enthusiasts, are a great way to experience the inner world of the Father of Bluegrass.
August 19, 2022
An enjoyable read about life on the road with the Father of Blue Grass from the perspective of a young man with great appreciation for the traditions of Blue Grass and the eyes of a much younger man. A mix of sensitive retelling of Bill Monroe's "idiosyncrasies" coupled with the frustration of being part of a dysfunctional work family.
Mark's writing style is easy to read and fun, I totally enjoyed the book.
Mark's writing style is easy to read and fun, I totally enjoyed the book.
November 23, 2024
Bus stories are the best.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews