Former Blue Grass Boys' fiddler Shumate passes
Thursday, October 10, 2013 – Jim Shumate, 91, a fiddler that played with Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys from 1943-1945, died today near his home in Hickory, N.C.
Shumate played with Monroe prior to Flatt & Scruggs joining the band> When the duo left Monroe in 1948, Shumate played fiddle on their first recording session.
Shumate reportedly had been suffering from kidney failure and Alzheimers, according to Bluegrass Today. He fell on Tuesday after "becoming quite ill on Monday," according to the article.
Monroe heard Shumate playing on the radio station WHKY from downtown Hickory, and asked him to join the Blue Grass Boys. He replaced Howdy Forrester, who was joining the Navy. Shumate never recorded with the Blue Grass Boys.
When Shumate came back from the Navy, he rejoined the Blue Grass Boys, and Shumate left to work in the furniture business in North Carolina.
More news for Bill Monroe
- 06/05/17: Monroe items put up for sale
- 01/27/09: Country Music Hall starts $1.1M fundraising effort, results from fraud case
- 10/19/07: Blue Grass Boy Tater Tate dies
CD reviews for Bill Monroe
This tribute to the father of bluegrass music was already in the finalproduction stage when Bill Monroe passed away in early September, so it becomes the first of what are sure to be many all-star celebrations of Big Mon's legacy.
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The material concentrates on Monroe's early songwriting, with such familiar tunes as Molly and Tenbrooks, ...
Continuing their distinguished series of live recordings from the nationally syndicated radio show, "Mountain Stage," this release marks more than one milestone for Blue Plate Music. Recorded by Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys for broadcast in May 1989, it's the 20th in the "Best of Mountain Stage" series and also marks the first release of an album in the series by a single artist.
Monroe and the boys, along with singer/songwriter Diana Christian, tear through 13 of his ...
Ricky Skaggs has wrapped the cloak of Bill Monroe's legacy tightly around him over the past few years. However, one might feel about that, this star-laden country music tribute to Bill Monroe is more than just a curiosity item - it's an interesting collection of how various artists incorporate and honor tradition.
Some fit snugly into Monroe's timeless sound as if they'd been Bluegrass Boys (or Girls) themselves. Patty Loveless shows a classic bluegrass sensibility on ...
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