{"product_id":"on-the-bus-with-bill-monroe-my-five-year-ride-with-the-father-of-blue-grass-9780252086496","title":"On the Bus with Bill Monroe: My Five-Year Ride with the Father of Blue Grass","description":"A backstage audition led Mark Hembree into a five-year stint (1979-1984) as the bassist for Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys. Hembree's journey included playing at the White House and on the acclaimed album \u003ci\u003eMaster of Bluegrass\u003c\/i\u003e. But it also put him on a collision course with the rigors of touring, the mysteries of Southern culture, and the complex personality of bandleader-legend Bill Monroe. Whether it's figuring out the best time for breakfast (early) or for beating the boss at poker (never), Hembree gives readers an up-close look at the occasionally exalting, often unglamorous life of a touring musician in the sometimes baffling, always colorful company of a bluegrass icon. \u003cp\u003eThe amusing story of a Yankee fish out of water, \u003ci\u003eOn the Bus with Bill Monroe\u003c\/i\u003e mixes memoir with storytelling to recount the adventures of a Northerner learning new ways and the Old South.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMark Hembree\u003c\/b\u003e is a bassist, vocalist, writer, and editor. From 1979 to 1984, Hembree worked for Bill Monroe as a Blue Grass Boy. He cofounded the Nashville Bluegrass Band in 1984 and was a member until 1988.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"University of Illinois Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50383164211474,"sku":"9780252086496","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_35735441-a173-4462-b20e-b90bd3a0bf10.jpg?v=1728779852","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/on-the-bus-with-bill-monroe-my-five-year-ride-with-the-father-of-blue-grass-9780252086496","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}