William Smith Monroe (; September 13, 1911 – September 9, 1996) was an American
mandolinist,
singer, and
songwriter who created the style of music known as
bluegrass. The genre takes its name from his band, the
Blue Grass Boys, named for Monroe's home state of
Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 69 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader. He is often referred to as the
Father of Bluegrass.