Commissioned in 2017 by the Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc, this bronze statue of Bill Monroe (1911-1996) was made by sculptor Ben Watts. Monroe’s life size statue statue stands next to the Tennessee Historical Commission historical marker commemorating the 1945 “Birth of Bluegrass.” Monroe is holding a mandolin, an Italian stringed instrument used in folk music around the world and popularized in the United States in the 1880s. The mandolin is central to the high lonesome sound of bluegrass music, named after Monroe's band, the Blue Grass Boys. This statue was unveiled in commemoration of the Ryman Auditorium's quasquicentennial.
Bill Monroe Statue
36.1613, -86.7789
Description
Commissioned in 2017 by the Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc, this bronze statue of Bill Monroe (1911-1996) was made by sculptor Ben Watts. Monroe’s life size statue statue stands next to the Tennessee Historical Commission historical marker commemorating the 1945 “Birth of Bluegrass.” Monroe is holding a mandolin, an Italian stringed instrument used in folk music around the world and popularized in the United States in the 1880s. The mandolin is central to the high lonesome sound of bluegrass music, named after Monroe's band, the Blue Grass Boys. This statue was unveiled in commemoration of the Ryman Auditorium's quasquicentennial.