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And on the Eighth Day a banjo player walked out of the woods and said the rest if the band will be here in a minute...

What was the first bluegrass bluegrass song ever done on this gods green planet?

,Was it Cripple Creek Turkey in the Straw or Rollin in my sweet baby's arms?

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Only song of yours mentioned that MIGHT fit into genuine bluegrass genre is "Rollin in my sweet baby's arms".

The other songs are not bluegrass, Turkey in the Straw is an 1800's folk song performed by fiddlers, Dixieland bands, and later on Bluegrass musicians but these other two ARE NOT "Bluegrass songs".   Blue Moon of Kentucky however would've been a correct possible answer since that was among the first recorded "Bluegrass" songs by the styles founder Bill Monroe, and preceded Rollin in my sweet baby's arms".  Turkey in the Straw played by street fiddle players around the turn of the century and Dixieland bands alike for ages is just folk music.  Bill Monroe did a few renditions of OLD folksongs in his style, but prior to Bill Monroe, and Earl Scruggs on Banjo there was no bluegrass. Earl Scruggs introduced Banjo to Bill Monroes music about 5 years after Monroe formed that style in 1939 {Bluegrass boys, and other Kentucky origin music was first generation bluegrass}. nothing prior.  Most of what bluegrass bands play today are 2nd and 3rd generation somewhat new bluegrass (newgrass) but Fiddlers have been playing folk music for ages, yet this is fiddler music, not bluegrass if it's not a Monroe comp.
Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs a few years later started the Bluegrass Era around 1940, and "Moon of Kentucky" was the first Bluegrass song.  Yeah,  renditions of MANY early folksongs have been done bluegrass style, but prior to Bill Monroe there was no bluegrass.  Hence as the founder HIS songs would've been the first bluegrass bluegrass songs recorder mid-40's.

So :Bluegrass Bluegrass:  can't exclude Bill Monroes style, nor can true bluegrass  have been composed outside of his era and genre playing. The closest song you mention is Rollin in my sweet babies arms but I thought that was Charlie Monroe.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

True But on the eighth day none of the other genres had been established yet. In fact it was the tenth day before anybody yodeled. So I thought I could expand the selections a tad.

bluegrass

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I remember..... cause on the 8th day..... I was there. I was the fiddler of the band:)  LMAO

I don't know what would have been the "first bluegrass song".

Bluegrass music was played long before it got a name. It's actually a blend of music that came from all the immigrants coming here. Banjo came from African slaves. Fiddles were brought over by Irish immigrants. Original bluegrass had a mountain dulcimer in it. Supposedly, all these immigrants migrated to the hills in Kentucky, Tennessee, and other places... cause the mountains reminded them of their homes. And they played their instruments, along with their neighbors instruments.... and they wrote songs about the mountains, and death, and missing their loved ones and all that.

Bill Monroe and his brothers put the name to it. He was from Kentucky, known for it's "blue grass"..... so he called his band members the "blue grass boys".  So, I guess, going by that, you could count "Blue Moon of Kentucky" as one of the first.

But if you trace back even before it had a name, the Carter family played bluegrass music for years. I still say "Wildwood Flower" is the older bluegrass song I know. It was passed down for generations of Carter women.

I guess someone could always research the subject:)

Now, the song Cripple Creek being named after a place in Colorado, I'd say it wasn't that... cause Bluegrass music was played before the west was settled.

The other two songs, I know them, but I don't know their history. I'd say, more likely it was some of the old bluegrass gospel, since the immigrants that brought the music here were very religious. Or, maybe something like "Rye Whiskey", that is an Irish song, known pretty much by everyone who plays bluegrass.

But I'll let you two argue out the particulars.... I think I'm gonna go play my fiddle today.  LMAO

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

....  Bluegrass was first. (i like to think that anyhow)

As to yodeling.... yeah, that was a few days later, and here's how it came about:

The bluegrass players' coon dogs would start baying every time the music played. There was a person among them who loved the music, but had no talent to play an instrument. He thought the dogs' baying added a nice touch, so he started baying in tune to the music himself, and the players liked it... and yodeling was born.  :yes:

(ya believin' that one?..... Lmao)

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

No,  American Folk music had LONG been established, and street fiddlers were around LONG before Bluegrass which OF COURSE has it's root in American root-folk music, all styles evolve, but bluegrass was taken more from Irish, Celt, Scottish gigue-style folk music which used a limberjack, dulcimer, Psaltry plucked and bowed, sometimes spoons, guitar, violins etc and evolved in Appalachia with the irish, scottish immigrants that settled into that area... The style blended with Dixieland blues style but didn't even involve banjo prior to Earl scruggs around 1945.  While many CALL pre-1939 music "Bluegrass" it only sounds similar, technically it's still traditional folk style.  Bluegrass musicians play root music in their style but the only song that fits into actual bluegrass is Rollin in my Sweet baby's arms.  Bill recorded it on his first album, it was done by his younger brother charlie.  This is the reasoning behind my statements..
Anything prior to Bill Monroes hybridized style which took the name bluegrass is considered country, traditional, or folk, gigue, waltz, bop, American Roots music, street fiddlers music, but NONE of that was "Bluegrass" which is only a derivative style utilizing earlier styles.  Bill Monroe recorded his younger brother Charlies "Rollin in my sweet babies arms" on his first bluegrass album in the 1940's..  That was considered a bluegrass composition.

Even though the group Focus can play Bach music, and Rock musicians can do renditions of classical songs, the songs are still classical music compositions being done in A Rock *rendition*.  The SONGS themselves are not Rock !   Cripple Creek, and Turkey in the Straw have been done in Bluegrass style. But they aren't classified as Bluegrass songs,  they have their own category.  Rollin in my sweet babies arms IS bluegrass. Sure bluegrass bands play bluegrass, but if they are playing a song that is categorized as Folk, or Country-style, the song they are playing is a folk or country song done by a bluegrass band, in the bands style.  Not a TRUE bluegrass song

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Steven..... there's a few ways to define "true bluegrass".

Any song that has the essential unplugged instruments, and has a true bluegrass vocal singing, with the true bluegrass high tenor singing behind them... IS bluegrass.

A huge portion of bluegrass songs were stolen from other genres. Some are written AS bluegrass songs, by a "bluegrass band" or "bluegrass singer", but that does not mean if written or first performed by "other than..." that it's NOT true bluegrass. While I have great respect for Bill Monroe, I have listened to that man all my life, he named bluegrass music and helped it evolve, he did not invent it, nor did he play it first. It may not have been named such before that, but when a group would gather playing guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, bass... someone would sing a mournful song and someone else would jump in with high tenor... it WAS bluegrass. Sure, they called it "folk style", cause the word bluegrass had yet to be invented.

If you get really particular, many of the original first bluegrass songs were instrumental only. It was simply a music piece, with each instrument (though often not the bass) taking it's turn with a lead break. Lots of bluegrass songs had lyrics added later. My dad plays a lot of them that are strictly instrumental: Grey Eagle, Liberty, Foggy Mountain Breakdown, Bill Cheatham, Will Parsley Waltz... they are bluegrass with no lyrics whatsoever. Doesn't make them any less bluegrass either.

Bluegrass and folk music... are a very close match, IMO. The only difference being in folk music you're likely to be missing some of the bluegrass instruments, and the tenor may not be the high lonesome kind you hear bluegrass singers do.

A lot of what you hear these days IS "newgrass".... some people even play electrified fiddles...  :roll: ... But the main root of the music is there.

But I guess my point is.... a song does not have to "be" bluegrass, you can "make it" bluegrass. In my humble (albeit loudmouthed) opinion anyhow:)

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

 LMAO

One time about six of us were in a small french bar and sang cattle call..Some were yodeling and the rest moaing like hound dogs. The old frencnmen were splitting a gut laughing.

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Charmin,  Normally I'd agree that the definition need not be a strict definition, but Ollie posed his question as follows.

and based upon his question the answer is Rollin in my sweet baby's arms.  Because "First bluegrass bluegrass" can't exclude Kentucky, and "The Bluegrass Boys" who recorded that particular song.

 "Bluegrass bluegrass" in Ollies definition is what narrowed this to specifics.  As to how strict Bluegrass players elsewhere consider the style to be, how long it truly did exist  I don't know. Bluegrass state and Bluegrass boys can't be excluded from "Bluegrass bluegrass".

Regarding debates about Allison Krause and Affleck's playing,  I haven't a clue.  I never in 100 years thought electric could be true bluegrass but again,  this isn't my area of music so I don't know.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Much as I hate to agree with anyone for any reason just for the sake of being contrary, I have to agree with Kappy and Cletus on this one.  I wouldn't put Bluegrass any earilier than Bill Monroe.  His mastery of the mandolin coupled with his hair splitting attention to precise timing that defined the hard-as-nails sound which contrasted with the high-lonesome vocals of Appalachian folk music and gave us "Bluegrass."

My 2 cents worth.

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Okay, who took my pants?

Cletus heer'n I aint say nothin ingreement with that yappitty barkin north'rn toy poodunk dog Kaplin  !  This heerz Charmings thred'n left by a jentlman fer Charmings bluegrass, it aint bout what Kappy gonna spew donchano !cuz if'n Kapppy gonna thinks lil more he'd thinks nuf to be fix'n to kepe hs yankitty mouf shut fersher !    If'n Kappiy gona shuit dat knoitall virbalism where it got no plase he'd noz nuf to leaves it outuv a gents and lil ladies thred deadcatid to Charming, Charming ALL bout bluegrass she is ! but Aint no Conketitkut Yankity noze bouts bluegrass nosirree ! !   I knoz cuz it started 1 over from these here parts'n Charming spekes frm nalidge!  themz parts wear the son shynz briten themz ol Tucky homz.  YEEHAW !!  wear the beer'n the antloap pray !  when seldm iz herd, a north erdite wurd'n the skyz aint clowdy non durin datime !

Lemme tel ya'll aza paytreeoddic man I am !   Aint NO nashinal anthems purdy lyke Home'n the range !  Purdist antehm invented !

upheres them modratiners remited Kappy bak spite muh effarts to kepe his mouf gone fershur !

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

aint NO uther cuntry wear a man'n his beer'r freenuf to sit'n pray with an antloap ! That thar song pitomizes tis heer grate nashun

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Hey, difference of opinion is one of the things that keeps the world turning. It's not as if I'd keep my opinion out of a thread about bluegrass.

Atleast I have my buddies Ollie & Cletus around to cover my back when I'm gone:)

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

  Cletus thinks he's a first seat percussionist.   Problem is when he turned around to try to flush, he fell off've the seat and the Jaw-Harp knocked out his family jewels !   You can see from his photogenic puss just what a "looker" and man of sage that poster child for the "Colgate Smile" is.

 Aside from that goofball, interesting posts.  Maybe there's some geography involved here too.  I'd imagine assuming you ask Bluegrass players in Kentucky about the origin of the style of music, naturally that general area would likely boast that their "Claim to Faim" is Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys.   Since I've only played (jammed actually, never played or joined) at a few Bluegrass Fests around here, I never actually asked Bluegrass players their opinion on this, I never thought about this styles origin.  As I stated "Bluegrass Bluegrass" was what I formulated my opinion on.  Not styles that led up to what became known as "Bluegrass".  Again,  Not a style I'm overly familiar with !

Oh,  and btw,  Thanks Exweed,  Cletus has a few "issues".  I try to ignore him,   Seems he's gotten his sorry A$$ (or is that his face?) evicted from the slop bucket.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Dat big wird sheeit'l be yer dameyes'n thees heer partz yez mustashdid prinsiss !


Cum'n down'n walks that walk yez yappinin chiwawa.. HAW HAW Seez I telz yez Charming, al tawk thit thar girli boy !   YEE HAW !

I tellz ya yappity Krappity, Delta's reddy'm waitin ti kick thit girlly puss'v yers !
CUMON DOUN n shot yer fase !

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".