12/08/2025
🪕 Happy Birthday to the genre we love! 🎻
On this day 80 years ago, Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys, comprised of Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Chubby Wise, and Howard "Cedric Rainwater" Watts, stepped onto the Grand Ole Opry stage for the very first time.
During this landmark performance, bluegrass music took shape in the form that would define the genre: a five-piece ensemble of plucked string bass, steel-string guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and banjo played in the three-finger style made famous by Earl Scruggs. Together, they created a sound the world had never heard before.
This year also marks 40 years of the International Bluegrass Music Association. Since 1985, the IBMA has worked to honor the traditions born that night while encouraging the innovation that keeps bluegrass moving forward. We’ve supported artists, strengthened the industry, and ensured that bluegrass remains in the spotlight.
You can be part of it too!
✨ Become a member at https://ibma.org/membership/
🪕 Join programs like Leadership Bluegrass, Kids on Bluegrass, or the International Band Performance Grant
📅 Attend IBMA World of Bluegrass® in Chattanooga, TN (Oct 20–24, 2026)
📧 Reach out to [email protected] to find a way to get involved
💙 Make a donation at https://ibma.org/play-your-part/
Photo: Ryman / Steve Lowry
Learn more about the history of bluegrass at bluegrasshall.org
Ryman Auditorium Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum
