Birch Monroe
b. 1901, on a farm near Rosine, Ohio County, Kentucky, USA, d. 15 May 1982. Birch was the fiddle-playing elder brother of Bill Monroe who, after the death of his parents, moved to Detroit with brother Charlie Monroe. Here, they worked for a time in the motor industry, before moving to work in the oil refineries at Whiting and East Chicago, Indiana. In 1929, they were joined by brother Bill, and during the Depression, the three began to play at local venues; eventually Bill and Charlie worked professionally together as the Monroe Brothers. From the mid-to late '40s, he worked with brother Bill's band, playing bass and taking bass vocals, as well as acting as their manager and booking agent. He remained connected with his brother's business enterprises, and from 1951 to the end of the '70s, he managed the country park at Bean Blossom, Indiana, which featured the weekly Brown County Jamboree. His recording career was limited to those made with his brother's band, except in the mid-70s, when accompanied by the BlueGrass Boys and under the production of Bill, he recorded an album of fiddle music. Birch Monroe died in 1982, and is buried in the Monroe family plot on Jerusalem Ridge, Rosine, Kentucky.