A bronze sculpture of Bill Monroe now sits in the lobby of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum thanks to a long-term loan with the Grand Ole Opry.
The sculpture was commissioned by the Grand Ole Opry to celebrate its 70th anniversary in 1995, and it was presented to Monroe — known as the father of bluegrass — on stage during the celebration.
Video footage of the sculpture presentation is also on display in the Hall of Fame. Artists Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Marty Stuart, Pam Tillis, Jim & Jesse among many more performed some of Bill Monroe’s classic songs to honor the music icon.
“If there was a Mt. Rushmore of the Grand Ole Opry, Bill Monroe would be one of its most recognizable faces. Although the Opry has launched many careers, I can think of no other artist who has had more of an impact on American music than Bill Monroe,” Hall of Fame Executive Director Chris Joslin said. “…To many, Bill Monroe was bigger than life, and this artifact captures the spirit of the man who created bluegrass music. It’s only fitting that it lives, for a season, here at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum.”
Emily Frans, Director of Archives and Content Management for Opry Entertainment Group, said the Grand Ole Opry is glad to loan the sculpture to the Hall of Fame.
“This loan represents our mutual commitment to preserving and presenting the remarkable musical legacy of Bill Monroe and bluegrass music that coalesced on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium in the mid-1940s,” Frans said. “As the music of Bill Monroe continues today as a powerful genre of music performed on the Opry stage and around the globe, the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum serves as a remarkable resource for bluegrass music historians, scholars, musicians, and fans alike.”
