In my opinion, there WAS NO "Bluegrass Music" until Earl Scruggs came to town (Nashville). Prior to Earl walking on the Grand Ole Opry stage and hitting his first note, Bill Monroe played "Hillbilly" music. From the instant he plucked that first note and forever after, Bill Monroe played "Bluegrass Music".

Some who are not so "pro-Scruggs" play "what if" games, replacing Earl Scruggs with Don Reno, Rudy Lyle, etc., and they claim that any banjer picker at that time would have had the same impact. Play all you want, but there is only ONE history. And, the man who WAS there was Earl Scruggs---end of story.

Further, there are those on other newsgroups that regularly say, "You cannot play Bluegrass without the 5-string banjo." Many in here will disagree, but for me, if you have a fiddle, mandolin, bass, and a guitar---but no banjo, it ain't Bluegrass. It IS a derivation for sure, but it ain't Bluegrass.

Then again, I'm prejudice.

Thanks to Wynn Osborne for this info.