Bean Blossom 1971

In April 1952 Bill Monroe bought the park that held the Brown County Jamboree at Bean Blossom from Mr. and Mrs. Francis Rund, and he produced influential bluegrass festivals from 1952 until his death in 1996. The McIntyre Collection includes recordings of the festival from the 1970s. Bean Blossom 1971 stands out as an important year in the festival’s history due to a number of reasons. That year the festival had a large, diverse, crowd in attendance with visitors from all fifty states and five countries. Bean Blossom 1971 also saw two foreign bluegrass bands perform at the festival: The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band from New Zealand and Bluegrass 45 from Kobe, Japan. Along with The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band and Bluegrass 45, highlights from the festival that year included performances by John Hartford and Cliff Waldron. 1971 also saw Lester Flatt & The Nashville Grass perform at Bean Blossom, putting an end to the strained relationship between Monroe and Flatt.  Songs selected from these reel-to-reel tapes of various bands at Bean Blossom include "Down at the Hall," "Down Yonder," "Muleskinner Blues," "Hills of Home," and "Little Cabin Home on the Hill."

The Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival (renamed Bean Blossom Bluegrass & Uncle Pen Festival) still takes place to this day at Bill Monroe’s Music Park and Campground in Bean Blossom, Indiana.

"Muleskinner Blues" by Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys

"Little Cabin Home on the Hill" by Lester Flatt and Bill Monroe

"Hills of Home" by Ralph Stanley

"Down Yonder" by Bill Monroe

"Down at the Hall" by The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band

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Bean Blossom 1971