New Bill Monroe Sculpture Unveiled at Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.
On Friday, 12th May, the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum unveiled a new installation in its lobby thanks to a long-term loan with the Grand Ole Opry. A bronze sculpture of Bill Monroe was commissioned by the Grand Ole Opry to celebrate its 70th anniversary in 1995. The work of artist Steve Shields was presented to Bill Monroe onstage during the celebration.
Bill Monroe Sculpture
In addition to the sculpture, video footage of the sculpture presentation will be included within the display. 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.
Hall of Fame executive director Chris Joslin commented, “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. The Grand Old Opry recognized this by creating this iconic sculpture to celebrate the career of one of its most important artists. 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.”
The Grand Ole Opry is delighted to celebrate and support the mission of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum with a loan of a Bill Monroe sculpture from the Grand Ole Opry Archives. 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. 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 – Emily Frans, Director of Archive.
The Bill Monroe sculpture is now on display at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky.
About the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum
Located in Owensboro, Kentucky, the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum is a nonprofit dedicated to the history and preservation of bluegrass music. Among the many community and educational events produced by the Hall of Fame is the annual ROMP Festival, a four-day bluegrass music festival attended by over 25,000 annually. Learn more about the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum at bluegrasshall.org and connect with us on social media @bluegrasshall.
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