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Thread: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

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    Facing the Storm Duane Graves's Avatar
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    Default I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    I have just now finished reading the book “Can’t You Hear Me Callin’” written by Richard D. Smith which is a biography of Bill Monroe, and wanted to share a few words about it. First of all it is not only a biography of this bigger-than-life personality but it is also a history book. The author did his research I’d say and then some. Some 60 years and more of one person and group after another with dates and recordings and wives and girlfriends and family members who were indirectly or directly in the path of Big Mon. It is an amazing story with an amazing ending and I would recommend it to anyone who was like me and needed to know the story of how Bluegrass got going and the identity of the fellow who whipped it into being...Bill Monroe. No question in my mind after this reading who was the “Father of Bluegrass”. For sure, many, many, did I say many, great performers moved it along and still do but you have to give credit where credit is due to the one who “furrowed the first row”. I feel as though I can now relate so as to understand so much more about Bluegrass music after reading this book. Monroe himself was a dynamic personality who was kind and considerate yet callous and really quite cruel at the same time. He loved and gave love yet hated and held long-standing grudges. It seems to me he was quite unpredictable as most genius’ tend to be. Yet, at the very end he was loved and respected by all or at least it seemed that way as people gathered at his bedside in his last days and hours and during his wake and funeral. As you may be able to tell, I’m glad I read that book. Just passin' the word—dgg.
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    Registered User MandoNicity's Avatar
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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    This book was even reviewed in the NY Times. Sadly I haven't read it yet, however on a personal aside, I used to work with Richard and he was my buddy. He is the one responsible for getting me to pick up the Mando, many years ago, and was my first teacher of the instrument. Eventually we wound up being in rival BG bands. I'm sure the book is great, Richard was a very intense BG follower back in those days.

    JR

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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    Seems funny to hear him refered to as Richard Smith and not Dick Smith...It IS a great book, I checked a copy of it out of our local library a few years ago to look up some info that I was interested in at that time and couldn`t put it down.....Good post Duane...Good to see more people taking an interest in finding out what bluegrass really is....

    Willie

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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    My daughter my bought it for me for a Christmas gift years ago. Great book. Pulls no punches ... yet respects Monroe for the musical giant that he was.

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    Registered User 300win's Avatar
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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    Good book. On a related note I have a couple copies of a 32 page book that was compiled by former " Bluegrass Boy" Doug Hutchens, titled " Howdy, Folks, Howdy ", stories of Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys, by the" men who wore the hats". It is intersting reading that has quite a bit more things in it about Bill and his band than is any other thing I've read about him. A lot of this book was taken from several former Bluegrass Boys at one stting with a tape recorder, and later transcribed by Doug.

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    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    There was some criticism of Smith's book because he covered Monroe's several extramarital escapades, his conflicts with other musicians, and his often-difficult personality which probably kept him from greater popular success -- though it also probably led him to hold to his personal vision and musical style, for which we should be grateful.

    I think that it's one of the better musical bios, comparable to Nolan Porterfield's wonderful Jimmie Rodgers, and the slighter but still fascinating Orange Blossom Boys by Randy Noles, about Erwin Rouse and Chubby Wise. I'm starting the Ralph Stanley autobiography Man Of Constant Sorrow, and for Christmas my kids gave me Still Inside about Tony Rice, and I Wonder As I Wander, Ron Pen's bio of John Jacob Niles. I guess, if I can't play like 'em, I can at least read about 'em...
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    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    I've read Dick Smith's book,also "The Bill Monroe Reader" & the book by one of Bill Monroe's Fiddle players,Gene Lowinger, "I Hear a Voice Calling". All are well worth reading & offer many insights as to what it was like working with & for Bill Monroe.
    The other great book to read for an overall view of the rise of Bluegrass Music,is "Bluegrass-a History" by Neil Rosenberg.
    I've posted extensively on here re.my absolute admiration for WSM.Yes,he was prickly,difficult maybe at times to get on with,but for his un-wavering adherance to the form of music that he thought of,quite rightly,as HIS music,we should all be eternally grateful,
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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    Just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'". Exceptional book and an exceptional story. Truly could not put it down.

    I've spent a lot of my life reading the history of the blues (I'm from Memphis and work down the street from Graceland), but I have been fairly ignorant of the story of bluegrass and country music. I've spent a lot of time in Nashville, so a lot of the images from the book really resonated with me. The stories truly are amazing and fun to learn.

    For anyone who plays mandolin, whether a bluegrass player or someone more into jazz or blues, this story is worth a read.
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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    Great book. All the more so as it has my picture in it next to Ralph Rinzler!

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    Registered User f5loar's Avatar
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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    And I took that photo of Ralph Rinzler. Dick spent a few days at my house and I can attest that he did his homework. He went to the courthouses for records, the newspapers for articles and interviewed quite a few bluegrass boys that had not been able to speak while Monroe was still alive. However like any biography not written by the person themselves nor approved by them, there are some errors in it. Trying to cover a person of this greatness that gave over 60 years to write about would be hard for anyone. Don't forget the great books by former bluegrass boys, Butch Robbins and Bob Black. And there is another former bluegrass boy writting as we speak another biography and he hopes to correct the errors found in Smith's book. I'm surprised that after 15 years since DOD that more books about Big Mon have not come forth and more official unreleased live recordings released. I'm looking forward to the 100th BD party in Owensboro in Sept.

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    Registered User grassrootphilosopher's Avatar
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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    I am looking forward to Tom Ewings biography of Bill Monroe as well. I enjoyed his "Bill Monroe Reader".

    I enjoyed "Cant You Hear Me Calling" as a very well written book. Some shortcomings are not noticable if you are not well acquainted with the timeline of certain events. Anyhow, the book covers the man and his music nicely. I find myself thumbing through it every once in a while.

    While we´re at it, Tom post some of those old pics in the "Pictures Of The Past" thread.
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    Registered User Malcolm G.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    Great read - have passed my copy along to my Maine-based luthier and asked her to keep it circulating once she's done with it.
    Very often a book like this will get to folk who would never have ordered it otherwise.
    Malcolm Grundy from Montreal

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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    I found Butch Robins' book a very interesting read as well. He told some great stories of Mun..some good,,some not so favorable. But hey...were are all human. I bet Mike Compton could pen a great read based on his experiences with WSM.

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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    I have read most of the available Monroe biographies and all were interesting to me. I thought "Can't you hear me calling" was one of the more comprehensive accounts of his life. However, it seems that it is a bit of a controversial book as well -- in particular among those who personally knew and worked with Monroe.

    By chance I met a musician back in the mid-1970's -- who I discovered one day was a former bluegrass boy -- albeit only for a short period of time (he is on the list that of BB that is on the web). While he was not long in the band he remained a life long friend of Monroe and spent several Christmas holidays at Monroe's farm later on.

    A few years ago right about the time I had finished reading Mr. Smith's book I happened to exchange emails with that same musician. Of course I asked his opinion about the book and it was not favorable. He basically said, "I did not recognize the man I knew from that book". So opinions vary. OTOH a life as long and as complex as Bill Monroe's is bound to generate a plethora of opinions -- and he rubbed many the wrong way while having loyal friends as well I suppose.
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    Ursus Mandolinus Fretbear's Avatar
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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    WSM was a flawed individual, as are we all to some extent or another. To try to protect and separate his legacy and legend from how he acted in life does no service either to it or to him. Tom Ewing can write whatever he likes to "correct the errors", the fact remains that WSM's own reputation and long-term practices as an employer resulted in that man's services as lead singer and guitarist being the best that Monroe could obtain and retain at that late point in his career, and about which that is enough said.
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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    I hesitate to broach the subject of Smith's book again...but one more time:

    It is indeed a well researched publication in many details. What I, and several unbiased Bg Boys, do not particularly care for is second-hand statements and allegations (several not true) quoted/printed as fact.

    To most of us a person is what/who they are: good, bad, indifferent, whatever. With the exception of Bg Boys whom refuse to discuss (or even accept) all facets of The Man, most people accept Monroe for who and what he was. You don't have to love the person, but do not dismiss his many talents and contributions to society. Music or otherwise.

    In any case, this book cannot be entirely quoted as the 'gospel' truth. For all the extremely intensive research put into the project, it could have been better served by omitting the sensationalism; suspicions and unproven allegations. That makes certain segments read more like The National Enquirer.

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    Site founder Scott Tichenor's Avatar
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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    Bill Graham wrote a very interesting article on this subject back in 2009 worth re-reading: Curative Talk For a True Life. I encourage you to look that over if you haven't ever read it.

    I've read almost all of the Monroe books and it doesn't take very long to get a clear sense of which camp the writer is in regarding Monroe's personal life. In May there's a new book coming out about Bean Blossom and I'm getting ready to interview the author who appears to be trying to walk a fine line between telling some of the facts while not going into them in such detail that they become a distraction. I suspect it's a pretty difficult task when you have a lot of friends in bluegrass. A couple of people posting in this thread are quoted/reference in this new book so these are people that were there and saw it firsthand. Personally, I've never understood the need to cover up or deny the man's shortcomings (which I've witnessed in public myself), but have spent enough years in the bluegrass crowd to understand what's going on. I prefer the facts over part of a story that's glossed over or just never touched on, but then I'm just a spectator in this game. It's all good.
    Last edited by Scott Tichenor; Mar-12-2011 at 9:22am.

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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    I have read many books about Big Bill including the one under discussion. Scott's recent post is right on - no one book is going to just nail it, and every author has his or her own preferences / biases. He was who he was, and probably no one on this site could say his music has not moved your soul at some point. Good enough for me.
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    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    There's an understandable, if not admirable, human inclination to poke around in the personal histories of respected, even venerated, public figures, and reveal their "feet of clay." We've seen recent discussions of John F. Kennedy's extramarital escapades (including a liaison with a woman who may have had ties to East German intelligence), Thomas Jefferson's long-term affair with Sally Hemmings, even speculation that Abraham Lincoln may have had homosexual relationships. Maybe it's related to our wish to feel that these historical figures aren't "above" us in all ways, despite the greatness they showed; they put on (or take off) their pants one leg at a time, just like us.

    In Monroe's case, his personal quirks, or shortcomings, or even "sins," if you must call them that, did have some impact on his public career. One needn't overemphasize them, or sensationalize them, but his Lloyd Loar mandolins wouldn't have been smashed except for his philandering -- at least that's the accepted scenario. I think Smith may "play up" incidents such as the "cat fight" backstage at the Opry beyond their real importance, but including stories such as this does help to paint the picture of Monroe's difficult, sometimes chaotic personal environment, and lets us assess for ourselves how this affected his music and his legacy.

    Smith is very respectful of Monroe, and does repeatedly honor "his many talents and contributions to society. Music or otherwise." One aspect of Monroe's personality, which I never would have realized without reading Can't You Hear Me Callin', was the respect and dignity with which he treated African-American harmonica player DeFord Bailey, when Bailey toured as part of Monroe's show -- helping Bailey get through the pitfalls of touring with white musicians in the segregated South. This was a side of Monroe that I assume few people saw.

    As important to us as Monroe and his music are, we should take a step back, and recognize that for the vast majority of Americans, the name "Bill Monroe" means little or nothing. In that context, it's fascinating that so many biographies and memoirs of his musical career, are being written. While I would be the last to say Smith's book is without flaws, I hope that all the present and forthcoming works are honest and balanced -- biography rather than hagiography.
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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    Quote Originally Posted by allenhopkins View Post
    One aspect of Monroe's personality, which I never would have realized without reading Can't You Hear Me Callin', was the respect and dignity with which he treated African-American harmonica player DeFord Bailey, when Bailey toured as part of Monroe's show -- helping Bailey get through the pitfalls of touring with white musicians in the segregated South. This was a side of Monroe that I assume few people saw.
    Monroe was always respectful of black musicians, very interested in all aspects of their music. Most people are aware that his early blues influences were applied to his blue grass music. What I always respected Bill highly for was his generous efforts to add an extra show for the local black fans, then later that evening do his regularly scheduled show for the white audience. This was in his tent show days...and if you ever heard him tell the details of those tent shows your back would ache knowing how hard those boys worked back then. Plus, for many years they played a concert promotion baseball game in the afternoon as well.

    Makes me wonder how many of us could have cut that mustard...especially when I hear musicians today whining about how long their drive in the bus was to the gig, etc.

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    Registered User mandomurph's Avatar
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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    What Bill Monroe did in his personal has had no effect on me. What he did as a musician definitely has. That's all I care about.
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    Registered User f5loar's Avatar
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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    It's hard to deny the importance Bessie Lee played in Monroe's life. She was not only the longest serving BGBoy at 11 years she was in on many of the important recordings. She was more than just his lover/mistress/common law wife/band member she was the inspiration behind dozens of Monroes best songs. She was the one to push his career over to more main stream popularity. She knew as much about the music as any other BGBoy with the exception of Kenny Baker. I would have been happy to just have the book be about Bill and Bessie Lee. There would be enough to do a book on that relationship alone. Smith brought to life a lot of fact that before then was mere rumor as BGBoys would not talk about it while Monroe was still living out of respect as an employer and gentleman. What would have made a great book would have been the one written by Bessie Lee before she died. Since her death was before Monore that story will never told. Smith did her justice and respect in this writings based on his research. To us this is our "Elvis" and reading new material about the bluegrass Father/King will always be of interest to his long time fans and especially those that knew the man both on stage and off.

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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    A Christmas present for me too a couple of years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is worth the time to read if you have any interest in Bluegrass music.

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    Facing the Storm Duane Graves's Avatar
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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    Yes, I agree with and see the sentimental value of your statement, f5loar, in your words: "To us this is our "Elvis"....." Yes, sir, I do get that point now that you mention it and after reading the book and watching the film documentary put out by Folk Streams I can emphatize with the lose of such a great man. I guess it's the same everywhere we all have people we wish could be around us, well, forever and to many, Bill Monroe, was one such person. You know it seems that when they are gone we soon start to settle with a kind of uneasy feeling that developes deep within us. We wish we could have them back....just one more gig, we think....just one more...but it will never happen and memories will have to do but it's like don't mess with the things I have in my mind about my hero. And so we judge biographies and such based on this type of mindset. I can honestly say that when I began searching for Bill Monroe's identity by first submitting a few posts asking for ideas about him at that time I really did not know who he was. I mean you read and see his name very often here on MC but to me it was like "who in the world is he that so many people keep quoting him and so on". So, the book that Smith wrote is enough of a read to satisfy my interests. Personally, I'm glad Smith told the stories he did about him and you know, so what if some who seem to know, say many of these stories were sensationalized. They may have been but over all his life was revealed through Bill's own historical path and that of others in such a way that it satisfied my curiosity. Furthermore, in terms of the sensationalizing (I admit the first-person dialogue is spurious) we have a saying around these parts about such things and it is "where there's smoke there's fire." In other words it may not be exact, you understand, but it is close to it because that's the talk around about this or that. Bill Monroe was a great man in his genre that's all that counts, don't you think? I wish I had the chance to meet him. What seems sad to me is that when people like this are gone they are just "really gone" and they don't come back and sometimes there is no one to come along in your lifetime that can replace them. Such is the way of life....Good book. Good subject. I have learned a great deal from it and enjoyed it from cover to cover. Believe it or not it has also made me a better mandolin player. More dedicated to excellence and practice and performing --dgg.
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    Work in Progress Ed Goist's Avatar
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    Default Re: I just finished "Can't You Hear Me Callin'".....

    As someone who does not consider himself a bluegrass fan, I come at this with no preconceptions.
    The fact that there was some darkness, and flaws, in Bill Monroe's character only enhances his image as an artist from my perspective. Like fine instruments, humans, particularly creative humans, acquire scars over time. In the case of humans, not all scars are physical.
    Displaying, dealing with, and surpassing the circumstances of the scars is part of Art, and part of Life.
    Embrace the darkness, without it there can be no light.
    Hats off to the Big Mon...All of him.
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