"Born in 1911 in rural Kentucky, Monroe melded the fiddle tunes, ballads, and blues of his youth into the "high lonesome" sound known to day as bluegrass, making him perhaps the only performer to create an entire musical genre. His distinctive bluegrass style profoundly influenced country, early rock 'n' roll, and the folk revival of the 1960s.

A Grand Ole Opry star for almost sixty years, Monroe was a searing mandolinist who redefined the instrument, a haunting high-range vocalist, and a godlike figure to generations of admirers who became famous in their own right."--BOOK JACKET.