March 26 Bluegrass Trivia Question

This Contest is Closed
The winners are:
George Nasca
Andy Bing
Vinny Nugent

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MARCH 26 TRIVIA QUESTION

Of the four original members of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys, who has a relative actively performing bluegrass music currently? (The original 4 were Bill Monroe, Cleo Davis – guitar, Art Wooten – fiddle, Amos Garen – bass fiddle.)

A. None
B. “Jimbo” Monroe of Nashville (grandson – guitar/The Station Inn Irregulars)
C. Gene Wooten of Nashville (grandson – Dobro/The Osborne Brothers)
D. David Davis (nephew – mandolin/The Warrior River Boys)
E. Kristin Scott Benson (Amos Garen’s granddaughter – banjo/The Grasscals)
F. All of the above except A

ANSWER is “D – David Davis”

Additional Bowden Comments
Wow! Great to see so many participants, and plenty of winners.

Answer B is partially true in that Bill Monroe’s grandson is James “Jimbo” Monroe. He’s not a working musician. Last I knew he was a Nashville police officer!

C. is the late Gene “Geno” Wooten, King of the Carolina Dobro Players. Gene played with Wilma Lee Cooper, The Sidemen and The Osborne Brothers (Sonny & Bobby). No relation to old “Fiddlin’ Art Wooten” as far as I could determine. Although both are from N. Carolina, they’re from opposite ends of the state.

Answer D is of course correct. David Davis is the nephew of Cleo Davis, Bill Monroe’s first Blue Grass Boy guitar player and duet partner. David knew his Uncle Cleo, who earlier had been a duet partner with David’s dad. David has a number of “stories” from Uncle Cleo that he occasionally shares.

Answer E, Kristin Scott Benson of the Larry Stephenson Band, and now the Grascals, is an IBMA Banjo Player of the Year who is a descendant of an earlier bluegrasser. Her grandfather and mandolinist Orval Hogan was a long time member of the Briarhoppers, the longest continuous running old-time and bluegrass band in the world, from Charlotte North Carolina on WBT radio and tv since 1934! Young Earl Scruggs even played with the band a little bit before heading for Nashville. However, the Briarhoppers never really “broke big”, remaining a North Carolina regional favorite.

Good job everybody, and have fun with the next trivia offering.

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