This is a short preview trailer. You can watch the entire film at no charge on the Folkstreams website. Folkstreams is a nonprofit whose mission is to find, preserve, contextualize, and stream documentary films on American folklife.
Watch the entire film at Folkstreams
No single figure in American music so dominated a genre as Bill Monroe did bluegrass. This film stands alone as the most intimate and detailed portrait of this unique musical innovator, creating an experience akin to having a one-on-one conversation with the bluegrass master. The film features archival footage and rare 1990s performances from Monroe's final years, including many of the greatest songs from his seven decades of recording, among them "Uncle Pen" and "Muleskinner Blues." In addition, it offers unparalleled access to Bill Monroe, following him from the backstage of the Grand Ole Opry to his farm outside Nashville and on the road in his legendary Blue Grass Express tour bus. Interview subjects range from the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia to country music pioneer Roy Acuff, in one of his final film appearances.