A chronological look at the fiddlers and other prominent musicians who shaped bluegrass music through Monroe’s legendary band
Bill Monroe (born September 13, 1911) formed The Blue Grass Boys in 1938, after the Monroe Brothers disbanded. The band joined the Grand Ole Opry in October 1939, launching what would become a 58-year career that defined an entire musical genre.
Over nearly six decades, more than 150 musicians passed through the Blue Grass Boys, with Monroe’s band serving as both the birthplace of bluegrass music and a training ground for generations of roots musicians. The fiddlers who played with Monroe were particularly crucial in shaping the sound and style of bluegrass, from the experimental early years through the classic period and into the folk revival era when Monroe embraced musicians from across the country.
This timeline traces the evolution of bluegrass fiddling through the talented musicians who learned from, contributed to, and helped define Monroe’s revolutionary sound.
1938
Bill Monroe
1938-1996, Started the band around age 27
Mandolin/Guitar/Vocals
1939
Art Wooten
1939-1940, Joined around age 33
Fiddle/Vocals
Cleo Davis
1939-1940, Joined around age 20
Guitar/Mandolin/Vocals
Walter “Amos” Garren
1939-1940, Joined around age 25
Bass/Vocals
1940
Pete Pyle
1940-1941, Joined around age 24
Fiddle/Vocals
Clyde Moody
1940-1945, Joined around age 25
Guitar/Vocals
Tommy Magness
1940-1941, Joined around age 24
Fiddle/Vocals
1941
Bill Westbrooks
1941-1942, Joined around age 21
Bass/Vocals
1942
Chubby Wise
1942-1948, Joined around age 27
Fiddle/Vocals
Howdy Forrester
1942-1948, Joined around age 20
Fiddle/Vocals
String Bean
1942-1945, Joined around age 27
Banjo/Vocals
Tex Willis
1942-1948, Joined around age 23
Bass/Vocals
1944
Lester Flatt
1944-1948, Joined around age 30
Guitar/Vocals
1945
Earl Scruggs
1945-1948, Joined around age 21
Banjo
1948
Cedric Rainwater
1948-1949, Joined around age 30
Bass/Vocals
Joel Price
1948-1950, Joined around age 28
Fiddle/Vocals
Mac Wiseman
1948-1949, Joined around age 23
Guitar/Vocals
1949
Ernie Newton
1949-1951, Joined around age 29
Bass/Vocals
Jackie Phelps
1949-1950, Joined around age 24
Guitar/Vocals
Jim Shumate
1949-1951, Joined around age 28
Fiddle/Vocals
Jimmy Martin
1949-1954, Joined around age 22
Guitar/Vocals
Rudy Lyle
1949-1951, Joined around age 37
Banjo
Vassar Clements
1949-1956, Joined around age 21
Fiddle/Vocals
1951
Carter Stanley
1951-1951, Joined around age 26
Guitar/Vocals
Ralph Stanley
1951-1951, Joined around age 24
Banjo/Vocals
Charlie Cline
1951-1953, Joined around age 20
Fiddle/Vocals
Tommy Sutton
1951-1952, Joined around age 30
Banjo
1952
Don Reno
1952-1952, Joined around age 25
Guitar/Banjo/Vocals
Edd Mayfield
1952-1954, Joined around age 27
Bass/Vocals
James Monroe
1952-1988, Joined around age 11
Bass/Vocals
Merle “Red” Taylor
1952-1954, Joined around age 22
Fiddle/Vocals
Sonny Osborne
1952-1955, Joined around age 15
Banjo
1953
Benny Martin
1953-1955, Joined around age 25
Fiddle/Vocals
1954
Gordon Terry
1954-1956, Joined around age 23
Fiddle/Vocals
Joe Stuart
1954-1956, Joined around age 19
Fiddle/Vocals
Rudy Lyle
1954-1959, Joined around age 42
Banjo
1955
Bessie Lee Mauldin
1955-1957, Joined around age 17
Bass/Vocals
1956
Clarence (Tater) Tate
1956-1959, Joined around age 27
Fiddle/Vocals
1957
Joe Drumright
1957-1959, Joined around age 32
Bass/Vocals
Kenny Baker
1957-1984, Joined around age 31
Fiddle/Vocals
1959
Bobby Hicks
1959-1963, Joined around age 26
Fiddle/Vocals
Don Stover
1959-1964, Joined around age 31
Banjo
1963
Bill Keith
1963-1967, Joined around age 24
Banjo
Del McCoury
1963-1964, Joined around age 24
Guitar/Vocals
1964
Peter Rowan
1964-1967, Joined around age 22
Guitar/Vocals
Vic Jordan
1964-1965, Joined around age 22
Banjo
1966
Richard Greene
1966-1967, Joined around age 24
Fiddle/Vocals
1967
Byron Berline
1967 (6 months), Joined at age 22
Fiddle/Vocals
Roland White
1967-1969, Joined around age 29
Guitar/Vocals
1969
Lamar Grier
1969-1973, Joined around age 27
Banjo
1970
Jack Hicks
1970-1996, Joined around age 25
Guitar/Vocals
Sam Bush
1970-1971, Joined around age 18
Fiddle/Mandolin/Vocals
1973
Butch Robins
1973-1981, Joined around age 26
Banjo
Doug Green
1973-1973, Joined around age 27
Guitar/Vocals
1981
Bob Black
1981-1988, Joined around age 29
Banjo
1984
Clarence (Tater) Tate
1984-1988, Joined around age 55
Fiddle/Vocals
1988
Blake Williams
1988-1996, Joined around age 25
Banjo
Glen Duncan
1988-1996, Joined around age 33
Fiddle/Vocals
Mark Hembree
1988-1996, Joined around age 40
Bass/Vocals
Tom Ewing
1988-1996, Joined around age 41
Bass/Vocals
1995
Wayne Lewis
1995-1996, Joined around age 54
Guitar/Vocals
