Bill Monroe

“It's got a hard drive to it. It's Scotch-Irish music, but it has a part of the blues in it. It's a high-lonesome sound.”

“Bluegrass is sacred music and it's mountain music, but it's also music from the heart that has a message.”

“The mandolin is the leader of the bluegrass band.”

“That's one thing about bluegrass music, it's honest music.”

“That high lonesome sound, it's a lonesome sound that will touch your heart.”

“It's mighty, mighty music.”

“It's a music that'll make you pat your foot.”

“Bluegrass has brought more people together and made more friends than any music in the world.”

“I'd like to be remembered as the man who gave a new music to the world.”

“When I'd hear the wind blowing through the pines, it would just speak to me.”

“The good Lord has a plan for us all, and He's the one that gives us the talent to do what we do.”

“A lot of our music is from the church. That's where I first heard singing.”

“You have to have a feeling for the music. If you don't have that feeling, you can't play it right.”

“Bluegrass is my life. It's my everything.”

“The old-time fiddlers, they were the ones that really inspired me.”

“I was determined to carve out a music of my own. I didn't want to copy anybody.”

“You've got to have the right instrument and the right setup. And then you've got to have the heart to play it.”