Bean Blossom in Brown County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Brown County Bluegrass Music
Photographed by J. J. Prats, September 18, 2022
1. Brown County Bluegrass Music Marker, side one
The Brown County Jamboree began informally in Bean Blossom as a free outdoor show featuring local musicians. Gradually commercialized and professionally promoted, the Jamboree drew large crowds by 1941, including attendees from other states. The rural music park brought live country music to thousands of people and increased exposure for its musicians.
Bill Monroe, award-winning Father of Bluegrass Music, took charge of the music park by 1952. He continued the Jamboree shows and hosted an annual festival starting in 1967. By 1971, it included international performers and by 1976 drew over 30.000 attendees. Monroe died in 1996, but the festival continues at the Bill Monroe Memorial Music Park.
Erected 2016 by Indiana Historical Bureau, Peaceful Valley Heritage Preservation, Inc., and Brown County Community Foundation. (Marker Number 07.2016.1.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1941.
Location. 39° 16.236′ N, 86° 14.956′ W. Marker is in Bean Blossom, Indiana, in Brown County.
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Regionally, this marker is in Southern Indiana. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Brown County Art Colony (approx. 4.4 miles away); Brown County (Indiana) Courthouse on National Register (approx. 4.4 miles away); 09.11.2001 (approx. 4.4 miles away); Brown County Veterans Memorial (approx. 4.4 miles away); The Old Pump House (approx. 4.4 miles away); The Nashville House (approx. 4.4 miles away); Frank P. Taggart Building (approx. 4.4 miles away); Frank Hohenberger (approx. 4.4 miles away).
Also see . . . Wikipedia Entry for Bill Monroe.
Photographed by J. J. Prats, September 18, 2022
2. Brown County Bluegrass Music Marker
William Smith Bill Monroe (1911 1996) was an American mandolinist, singer, and songwriter, who created the bluegrass music genre. Because of this, he is often called the Father of Bluegrass.(Submitted on September 25, 2022.)
The genre takes its name from his band, the Blue Grass Boys, who named their group for the bluegrass of Monroes home state of Kentucky.
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In 1967, Monroe himself founded an annual bluegrass festival at Bean Blossom in southern Indiana, a park he had purchased in 1951, which routinely attracted a crowd of thousands; a double LP from the festival featuring Monroe, Jimmy Martin, Lester Flatt, and Jim and Jesse was released in 1973. The annual Bill Monroe Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival is now the worlds oldest continuously running annual bluegrass festival.
Photographed by J. J. Prats, September 18, 2022
3. Brown County Bluegrass Music Marker
Photographed by J. J. Prats, September 18, 2022
4. Bill Monroe Bluegrass Hall of Fame and Museum at the Bill Monroe Memorial Music Park and Campground
Credits. This page was last revised on September 25, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 25, 2022, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 317 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 25, 2022, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
