University Place

bluegrass music

Bluegrass music seems like an unlikely topic for anyone talking about Wisconsin music history, but bluegrass has always been popular in this state. From the days that it was introduced by Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs back in the 1940s, the real surge of interest though came during the urban folk music revival in the late '50s and early '60s. And a lotta young people began looking for music that reflected the country's roots and its foundation; people like Jerry Wicentowski, who played with the Blue Grass Hoppers on the UW campus, is still making great music today. A little bit later Mark Hembree discovered the music; he played for Bill Monroe as one of the Bluegrass Boys.

He's still making music. And Art and Stephanie Stevenson, just a little bit later, began making their music and some people think-- I'm one of 'em-- that they're one of the great bluegrass bands in the country.

bluegrass music