Interview with Montgomery Brothers, September 27, 2006

Partial Transcript: I'm, uh, Jim Montgomery.

Segment Synopsis: Van Montgomery and Jim Montgomery talk about when and where they were born. They talk about their father teaching them to play guitar.

Keywords: 1922; 1924; Bass singers; Brothers; Centertown (Ky.); Chords; Fathers; Fiddle players; Fiddlers; Fiddles; Guitar players; Guitars; Instruction books; Jim Montgomery (Artist); Learning to play; Montgomery, Jim (Artist); Montgomery, Norwood (Artist); Montgomery, Van (Artist); Norwood Montgomery (Artist); Parents; Quartets; Singing; Teaching; Van Montgomery (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Childhood; Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical ability in children.; Musical ability.; Musical families; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Practicing (Music)

Partial Transcript: Now, uh, when did y'all start playing out, uh, for people?

Segment Synopsis: The Montgomery Brothers talk about when they began performing, shortly after World War II. They talk about the various radio stations they performed on and the types of music they played.

Keywords: Amateur shows; Beaver Dam (Ky.); Country music; Fireside Frolic (Radio program); Grand Ole Opry (Radio program); Hillbilly music; Jim Montgomery (Artist); Montgomery, Jim (Artist); Montgomery, Van (Artist); Owensboro (Ky.); Performing; Radio shows; Songs; Trailaway Barn (Radio program); Van Montgomery (Artist); WBNL (Radio station); WOMI (Radio station); WVJS (Radio station); World War II

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical families; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Radio programs.; Radio stations.; Travel.; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: Well, did y'all have like a theme song that people kept requesting?

Segment Synopsis: The Montgomery Brothers talk about their relationship with Bill Monroe, Charlie Monroe, and Birch Monroe.

Keywords: Bill Monroe (Artist); Birch Monroe (Artist); Charlie Monroe (Artist); Friends; Jim Montgomery (Artist); John Monroe; Just A Song of Old Kentucky (Song); Knowledge; Monroe Brothers (Artist); Monroe, Bill (Artist); Monroe, Birch (Artist); Monroe, Charlie (Artist); Monroe, John; Montgomery, Jim (Artist); Montgomery, Van (Artist); Talent; Van Montgomery (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical families; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Radio programs.; Radio stations.

Partial Transcript: So y'all never played for other--anybody else?

Segment Synopsis: The Montgomery Brothers talk more about playing on the radio. They talk about playing live shows, mostly square dances. They talk about some of the states they traveled to for shows. They describe playing for and calling square dances.

Keywords: 1979; Acoustics; Advertisements; Armory; Brothers; Calling; Dances; Gimmicks; Indiana; Jim Montgomery (Artist); Jobs; Live shows; Microphones; Military; Missouri; Money; Montgomery, Jim (Artist); Montgomery, Van (Artist); Opportunities; Payment; Recording; Skating rinks; Square dance calls; Trailaway Barn (Radio program); Tunes; University of Kentucky; Van Montgomery (Artist); Western square dances; World War II

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical families; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Radio programs.; Radio stations.; Square dance music.; Travel.; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: Now from that--the armory where did--where did y'all go?

Segment Synopsis: The Montgomery Brothers talk about working as farmers while also working as performers. They talk about the crops they raised and tell a story about Bill Monroe hunting.

Keywords: Beans; Bill Monroe (Artist); Cattle; Corn; Crops; Dances; Day jobs; Entertainment business; Family; Hay; Home; Hunting dogs; Jim Montgomery (Artist); Line dances; Line dancing; Monroe, Bill (Artist); Montgomery, Jim (Artist); Montgomery, Van (Artist); On the road; Retirement; Schedules; Tobacco; Van Montgomery (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Family farms; Farm life.; Farmers.; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical families; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Radio programs.; Radio stations.; Square dance music.; Traditional farming; Travel.

Partial Transcript: Did your music change after you left the, the, the barn dances?

Segment Synopsis: The Montgomery Brothers talk about some of the last shows they played during their music career, and talk about continuing to play after their brother Norwood went blind. They talk about the difference between playing live shows versus playing on the radio.

Keywords: Applause; Audiences; Barn dances; Blind; Changes; Jim Montgomery (Artist); Live shows; Montgomery, Jim (Artist); Montgomery, Norwood (Artist); Montgomery, Van (Artist); Musical styles; Norwood Montgomery (Artist); Rest homes; Reunions; Square dances; Thrill; Van Montgomery (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical families; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Radio programs.; Radio stations.; Square dance music.; Travel.

Partial Transcript: Um, my guitar, I wore the fingerboard out on it.

Segment Synopsis: Van Montgomery talks about his guitar, which was being repaired at the time of the interview. The Montgomery Brothers perform the song "Beautiful Bouquet."

Keywords: Beautiful Bouquet (Song); Guitar players; Guitars; Jim Montgomery (Artist); Montgomery, Jim (Artist); Montgomery, Van (Artist); Performing; Van Montgomery (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical families; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: --[strumming instruments]--Now I guess we're ready.

Segment Synopsis: The Montgomery Brothers perform the song "I'm Using My Bible for a Road Map."

Keywords: Jim Montgomery (Artist); Montgomery, Jim (Artist); Montgomery, Van (Artist); Performing; Van Montgomery (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical families; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: --what you want to do? Play "Bees in the Hive"?

Segment Synopsis: The Montgomery Brothers perform the song "When the Bees Are in the Hive."

Keywords: Bill Monroe (Artist); Cousins; Jim Montgomery (Artist); Monroe, Bill (Artist); Montgomery, Jim (Artist); Montgomery, Van (Artist); Mothers; Performing; Teenagers; Van Montgomery (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical families; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: --electric instruments.

Segment Synopsis: Van Montgomery talks about when and why they switched from acoustic instruments to electric instruments. He talks about the brothers' singing. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Acoustic guitars; Bass singers; Electric guitars; Electric instruments; Guitar players; Guitars; Jim Montgomery (Artist); Lead singers; Montgomery, Jim (Artist); Montgomery, Norwood (Artist); Montgomery, Van (Artist); Norwood Montgomery (Artist); Performing; Singing; Songs; Tenor singers; Van Montgomery (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Guitar music (Bluegrass); Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical families; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Square dance music.