Bill Monroe - Little Georgia Rose 

Notice that it's a Vega banjo too!

WOW. Saw him @ Charlotte MI with his 5...string fiddle! W/ Jesse McReynolds.

I seen Bobby play the fiddle, guitar, bass, banjo at a professional level. Never seen him pick a mandolin or dobro though.

@@Pickinbuddy Yeah, might be...but flange looks like a Paramount

Good eye. Incredible stat

'Constantly revolving band of virtuosos" was a result of him being a hard ass man to work for, reportedly.

@@steveandrews8301 Goes with being a perfectionist. The top flight musicians know that going in, and deal with it accordingly.

@@MikeBlitzMag He was still an SOB, womanizer, and hard man to work for and be around. He could have been a cheap-skate, too, was the reason he couldn't keep any band members for very long. Kenny Baker, his final fiddler, was an exception - he must have had to bite his lips and eat a lot of crow, quite often, I imagine. Love Kenny Baker.

What’s the story?

@@judgunningmusic7064 According to Richard Smith's biography on Mr. Monroe, the "Little Georgia Rose" was supposedly a reference to a daughter which Bill fathered with his long time girlfriend & Bass player, Ms. Bessie Lee Mauldin. At some point, when the little girl was around 4 yrs.old or so, she frequently rode in the car with Bill, Bessie, & other band members; as they traveled to and from, some of Bill's shows. Mr. Smith wrote that Bill was said to have taught the little girl lyrics to several old songs, and Bill would sing them together with her as they would travel in the car, and he would call her his "little sweetheart" and that would make her smile at him. Hence the 2nd verse of the song: "We often sang old songs together I watched her do her little part (meaning sing her little vocal part) She'd smile at me, when I would tell 'er That she was, my sweetheart." I dunno exactly what the commenter was referring to, in regards to the story being sad; but in Mr. Smith's book, he wrote that after awhile, Bessie Lee supposedly could not stand, or handle the responsibility of raising the child anymore, and eventually gave custody of her to either some relatives, or close, family friends, in the state of Georgia. Hence Bill giving her the nickname of his "Little Georgia Rose. Also, Hence the lyrics to the 3rd verse: (which Bill did not include here): "Her mother left her with another A carefree life, she had planned The baby now, she is a lady The one her mother couldn't stand." This young lady, (the "Little Georgia Rose), was said to have visited Bill at his home a few times over the years, & Mr. Smith wrote that she supposedly came and visited Bill in the nursing facility, shortly before his death. He also wrote that although Bill acknowledged the young lady during his lifetime, the he did not include her in his will. Mr. Smith wrote that Mr. Monroe's will had the customary, legal rider in it, which stated, that if any other child should be found to be his, (besides his Son James, & Daughter Melissa, of course), and make any claim toward his estate, that said child should receive the sum of only $1.00. I would say that IS rather sad, seeing as how he rather acknowledged her while he lived. Although, it HAS been written, that Mr. Bill, (due previous tax troubles, failed business ventures, and other problems), was actually, not all that wealthy, at the time of his passing. Ron H. Abilene, TX.

Take a look at Jackie's work with Bill Monroe on their video of Roanoke. Mind boggling.

He was a musician and a half!! You should hear him play guitar on 8 more miles to Louisville by Mac Wiseman! Magnificent!

@@MikeBlitzMag Absolutely! "Two-finger" "Scruggs-style" - he is smokin' on it!

+williamanesbitt No, Maybe Mr Cline or Mr Gordon

@@jgsdf8900 Could be Charlie Cline or Gordon Terry....but...yes could be a "house" fiddler - Dale Potter playing in a lot of these clips

Between 1954 and 1956... It's a Gannaway Film.

Charlie Cline on fiddle

@@jgsdf8900 Fiddler not even visible in this clip but could well be Charlie Cline - definitely not Vassar

That’s Jackie Phelps on guitar.

You got it, man - it and he are soundin' good!

Adam Papke idk the banjo player but the guitar player is jackie phelps

@@jakesmith7257 ok. thanks man. kind of reminds me of a young Carter Stanley

Bobby Hicks (mainly known as a fiddle player & cut many sides/played many shows with Bill on that instrument) on banjo and Claude "Jackie" Phelps on guitar