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On the Bus with Bill Monroe: My Five-Year Ride with the Father of Blue Grass
- Author: Hembree, Mark
On the Bus with Bill Monroe: My Five-Year Ride with the Father of Blue Grass
- Author: Hembree, Mark
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About
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.
Contents
- False Start Foreword xi
- Acknowledgments xiii
- PART I. INTRODUCTIONS
- 1. William Smith Monroe 3
- 2. Mark Gilbert Hembree 10
- PART II. "MULESKINNER BLUES"
- 3. "You Just Might Have a Job" 15
- 4. "Shh! Shh! It's Bill!" 18
- 5. Monroe Enterprises 19
- 6. The Blue Grass Boys 21
- 7. Getting My Bedclothes 27
- 8. Learning the Vernacular 28
- 9. The Crucible of Chatom 31
- 10. Comfort Level 1 34
- 11. A Gentle Side of Bill 35
- 12. "Back Home Again in Indiana" 37
- 13. Uncle Birch 39
- 14. "Doghouse Blues" 40
- 15. Proper Grooming and a Tip of the Hat 41
- PART III. "BREAKING IN A BRAND-NEW PAIR OF SHOES"
- 16. Glory Is Fleeting 47
- 17. The Eye 50
- 18. More on the Bus 51
- 19. Road Cuisine 52
- 20. A Need-to-Know Bassist 55
- 21. The Beer Taboo 57
- 22. Hangover Management 59
- 23. Road Journal, February 1980 60
- 24. Who Is That Guy? 63
- 25. No, Really, Who the Hell Is That Guy? 64
- PART IV. "HEAVY TRAFFIC AHEAD"
- 26. Kentucky Fried Festival, Louisville 69
- 27. Taking My Time Capsules 71
- 28. John Duffey 72
- 29. On to Pocatello! 73
- 30. Rooms/No Rooms 74
- 31. Of Gloves and Bananas 76
- 32. Pushing the Bus up Cumberland Gap 77
- PART V. "MY LAST DAYS ON EARTH"
- 33. Master of Bluegrass 81
- 34. Back in the Saddle 84
- 35. Monroe Hangs Tough, But It's Tough 85
- PART VI. "ROCKY ROAD BLUES"
- 36. The Accidental Road Manager 101
- 37. West Coast Routing and Canadian Customs 103
- 38. Road Burns and the Right Rock 106
- 39. Rich Comes Along for the Ride 108
- 40. The Poker to End All Poker 110
- 41. Bill on Dolly, Wayne on Bill 112
- 42. Winning in Tahoe 113
- 43. Monroe Pays the Piper 114
- 44. The First Thing I'm Going to Do 115
- 45. Bean Blossom International 116
- 46. All Day at the Record Table 118
- 47. Bluegrass Death Trip 121
- 48. Bill Keeps Grinding 122
- 49. Checking on Paycheck 126
- 50. Mule Day, April 3, 1982, Columbia, Tennessee 128
- 51. Opening the Knoxville World's Fair, May 1, 1982 129
- 52. Uncle Birch and Southern Funerary Traditions 131
- PART VII. "PRECIOUS MEMORIES"
- 53. Taking the Gospel Shot 135
- 54. July 24-27, 1982 137
- 55. Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, via the Emergency Room 139
- 56. A Record-Breaking Diss 141
- 57. River Ranch Resort 143
- 58. Bill's Birthday in Louisville 144
- 59. Country Hardball 146
- 60. McClure via Coeburn 149
- 61. Roll On Buddy 152
- PART VIII. "OVER THE WAVES"
- 62. Hello, Ireland! 157
- 63. Bill Gets His Encore 160
- 64. A Wonderful School of Music 162
- 65. The Blue Grass Goys in Israel 163
- PART IX. "LIVE AND LET LIVE"
- 66. Pittsburgh, Unplugged 169
- 67. Feats of Magic 170
- 68. PTL: Pass The Loot 172
- 69. Bluegrass and the Hippies 174
- PART X. "ON AND ON"
- 70. Just Be Ready 179
- 71. Serving Notice 181
- 72. The Road Is Clear 183
- 73. Grand Ole Apres 185
- At Last, Thanks 187
- Further Reading 193
- Index 195
