Next GOBMS Show | Calendar | Board of Directors | Favorite Bands
and Websites |
||
Flash News! See the Chairman’s
letter regarding the future of GOBMS. GOBMS will be hosting
shows at the American Banjo Museum occasionally. Check back here and on
the Next Show page for
updated information. |
GOBMS
Farewell Since 1977, the Greater Oklahoma Bluegrass Music Society has
existed to preserve and promote the tradition of Bluegrass Music in Oklahoma.
Through the efforts of the founding members, countless fans, and a huge
variety of bands, Bluegrass is still alive and well in Oklahoma today! Over
the past forty plus years, the world has undergone historic changes, trying
economic times, and technological advancements beyond our wildest dreams.
Through it all, during good times and bad times, the GOBMS has been there to
carry the torch of bluegrass. Bluegrass family, we have reached a point in the life of the
GOBMS where it is no longer feasible to operate as we have for so many years.
Most of our long-time members are no longer with us. While we do occasionally
welcome new faces to our family, the overall trend in attendance and
financial resources has been a gradual decline. We enjoyed some wonderful
music from some great bands. Yet, as has been said many times, a lot of
people have missed some great shows. Therefore, the Board has made the decision
to close the GOBMS. Our April 8, 2023 show was our final show. The
organization itself will be kept in existence for a time, but no Bluegrass
Concerts & Jams are going to be scheduled. Does this mean the end of Bluegrass in Oklahoma? No, not at all.
When the GOBMS was founded and for many years after, there were several
bluegrass festivals around the state of Oklahoma. Today, many of those
festivals are gone, but a few outstanding festivals remain. And of course,
there are pickers in almost every region of the state. The music lives on! On behalf of the Board of the GOBMS, to all those fine people who
have stuck with us for many years, offering your support, ideas, and love of
Bluegrass – THANK YOU! To the many bluegrass bands around Oklahoma and
the region, thank you and keep pickin’! To the Patriot Event Center
(formerly the Oklahoma Country & Western Music Museum and Hall of Fame),
our home for many years – Thank You! While we will not be actively
producing shows anymore, you can still find us on Facebook to enjoy pictures
and videos from years of shows, plus notices of upcoming bluegrass
activities. Thank you, Nathan Sanders, Chairman Chairman Greater Oklahoma Bluegrass
Music Society
|
GOBMS celebrates bringing you
bluegrass music to the Central Oklahoma area since 1977. |
|
Bill
Monroe William Smith Monroe was
born on September 13, 1911, on a farm in Jerusalem Ridge, just outside
Rosine, Kentucky. His mother played accordion, fiddle, and harmonica, while
his siblings played guitar and fiddle. After his father died when Bill was
16, he moved in with his uncle Pendleton Vandiver (later immortalized in the
classic song "Uncle Pen"), who taught Bill to play guitar,
mandolin, and fiddle. Perhaps because no one else in the family played it,
Bill concentrated on mastering the mandolin. Bill joined with his brothers
Charlie, who played guitar, and Birch, who played fiddle, to play on radio
broadcasts. By 1930, the Monroe brothers had found success with
"Kentucky Waltz," "Footprints in the Snow," and
"Blue Grass Ramble." In the 1940s, Bill formed a new group called
"Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys" (the bluegrass came from his
home state of Kentucky). That started a new musical genre that has spread
worldwide.
|
|
|
||
For information about GOBMS,
contact Ronna Monse at (405) 317-2618 or (405) 226-9191 or via e-mail at rbass1151@gmail.com |
||
For any corrections to this page please e-mail to the GOBMS
Web-Master |