I suppose many will think this point is too pedantic but Kentucky is not the bluegrass state, it is the Blue Grass state. I think it adopted that slogan because of the many beautifully manicured blue grass pastures and white fences one sees passing through Kentucky's thoroughbred country. Monroe's second band after the Monroe Brothers separated was called Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys after his native state of Kentucky.

The term bluegrass as the name of Monroe's signature sound and the idiom he started was not coined by Monroe but by other music industry writers some years after Monroe's music had become popular. Monroe new that his music was original and unique but regarded it as his personal flavor of commercial country music.

Bill's early music with the Blue Grass Boys is not actually considered by scholars as bluegrass music. The first recording considered by scholars to be true bluegrass was recorded in September of 1946. Band members included Chubby Wise, Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and Cedric Rainwater (Howard Watts).