On the Bus with Bill Monroe

Mark Hembree is a bassist, vocalist, writer, and editor. From 1979 to 1984, Hembree worked for Bill Monroe as a Blue Grass Boy. He cofounded the Nashville Bluegrass Band in 1984 and was a member until 1988.

• False Start Foreword xiAcknowledgments xiiiPART I. INTRODUCTIONS1. William Smith Monroe 32. Mark Gilbert Hembree 10PART II. “MULESKINNER BLUES”3. “You Just Might Have a Job” 154. “Shh! Shh! It’s Bill!” 185. Monroe Enterprises 196. The Blue Grass Boys 217. Getting My Bedclothes 278. Learning the Vernacular 289. The Crucible of Chatom 3110. Comfort Level 1 3411. A Gentle Side of Bill 3512. “Back Home Again in Indiana” 3713. Uncle Birch 3914. “Doghouse Blues” 4015. Proper Grooming and a Tip of the Hat 41PART III. “BREAKING IN A BRAND-NEW PAIR OF SHOES”16. Glory Is Fleeting 4717. The Eye 5018. More on the Bus 5119. Road Cuisine 5220. A Need-to-Know Bassist 5521. The Beer Taboo 5722. Hangover Management 5923. Road Journal, February 1980 6024. Who Is That Guy? 6325. No, Really, Who the Hell Is That Guy? 64PART IV. “HEAVY TRAFFIC AHEAD”26. Kentucky Fried Festival, Louisville 6927. Taking My Time Capsules 7128. John Duffey 7229. On to Pocatello! 7330. Rooms/No Rooms 7431. Of Gloves and Bananas 7632. Pushing the Bus up Cumberland Gap 77PART V. “MY LAST DAYS ON EARTH”33. Master of Bluegrass 8134. Back in the Saddle 8435. Monroe Hangs Tough, But It’s Tough 85PART VI. “ROCKY ROAD BLUES”36. The Accidental Road Manager 10137. West Coast Routing and Canadian Customs 10338. Road Burns and the Right Rock 10639. Rich Comes Along for the Ride 10840. The Poker to End All Poker 11041. Bill on Dolly, Wayne on Bill 11242. Winning in Tahoe 11343. Monroe Pays the Piper 11444. The First Thing I’m Going to Do 11545. Bean Blossom International 11646. All Day at the Record Table 11847. Bluegrass Death Trip 12148. Bill Keeps Grinding 12249. Checking on Paycheck 12650. Mule Day, April 3, 1982, Columbia, Tennessee 12851. Opening the Knoxville World’s Fair, May 1, 1982 12952. Uncle Birch and Southern Funerary Traditions 131PART VII. “PRECIOUS MEMORIES”53. Taking the Gospel Shot 13554. July 24–27, 1982 13755. Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, via the Emergency Room 13956. A Record-Breaking Diss 14157. River Ranch Resort 14358. Bill’s Birthday in Louisville 14459. Country Hardball 14660. McClure via Coeburn 14961. Roll On Buddy 152PART VIII. “OVER THE WAVES”62. Hello, Ireland! 15763. Bill Gets His Encore 16064. A Wonderful School of Music 16265. The Blue Grass Goys in Israel 163PART IX. “LIVE AND LET LIVE”66. Pittsburgh, Unplugged 16967. Feats of Magic 17068. PTL: Pass The Loot 17269. Bluegrass and the Hippies 174PART X. “ON AND ON”70. Just Be Ready 17971. Serving Notice 18172. The Road Is Clear 18373. Grand Ole AprÈs 185At Last, Thanks 187Further Reading 193Index 195

"An enjoyable read. . . On the Bus with Bill Monroe provides authoritative details and entertaining commentaries about the person known as the father of bluegrass music, and also about members of the Blue Grass Boys." --Journal of Folklore Research Reviews "A quick read that is sure to enlighten and entertain." --Fiddler Magazine"Mormon Women at the Crossroads blends personal stories with theological considerations of women’s roles in contemporary Mormonism." --Foreword Reviews"A rollicking ride down the bluegrass road with the Father of Bluegrass and his band, and Hembree serves as a truly entertaining tour guide." --No Depression ​​"A book that feels fresh and welcome despite the familiarity of the subject - not because we finally come to understand Monroe in all his complexities, but because we meet a young, wide-eyed musician trying to find his way in the great man’s considerable shadow." --Chapter 16 "[Hembree] delivers his account of that time with the sort of lively, telling detail that can come only from someone who is reporting on lived-through experience. His book is a ride well worth taking." --Bluegrass Unlimited "I look for it to be a hit in the bluegrass world and among musicologists, as it adds to what we know about Bill Monroe from a human relationship perspective. It has nuts and bolts but also some slipped wrenches and busted knuckles. . . . I salute Hembree and this book about life on the bus. In a very articulate and pleasant manner, Hembree manages to take us along for the ride with him through an important period of Bluegrass history." --Bluegrass Standard ​​​​"Do we need one more book on Bill Monroe? Yes, if it is as honestly written as this one, and by a musician who shared the road with him for five years, covering thousands of miles and thousands of shows."--Bill C. Malone, coauthor of Country Music USA: 50th Anniversary Edition"Enthralling." --BookReporter.com"It paints a very, very, very true picture of life on the road, so much less glamorous than fans imagine--and the bus Monroe had when I was a Blue Grass Boy was even older and less reliable! I think this is an extremely valuable insight for those who have never lived this life. It also paints exquisite pictures of both Monroe and Kenny Baker--the men, not the performers--and this is as close a look as any who are curious will ever get."--Douglas B. (Ranger Doug) Green