False Start Foreword xi
Acknowledgments xiii
PART I. INTRODUCTIONS
1. William Smith Monroe 3
2. Mark Gilbert Hembree 10
PART II. “MULESKINNER BLUES”
3. “You Just Might Have a Job” 15
4. “Shh! Shh! It’s Bill!” 18
5. Monroe Enterprises 19
6. The Blue Grass Boys 21
7. Getting My Bedclothes 27
8. Learning the Vernacular 28
9. The Crucible of Chatom 31
10. Comfort Level 1 34
11. A Gentle Side of Bill 35
12. “Back Home Again in Indiana” 37
13. Uncle Birch 39
14. “Doghouse Blues” 40
15. Proper Grooming and a Tip of the Hat 41
PART III. “BREAKING IN A BRAND-NEW PAIR OF SHOES”
16. Glory Is Fleeting 47
17. The Eye 50
18. More on the Bus 51
19. Road Cuisine 52
20. A Need-to-Know Bassist 55
21. The Beer Taboo 57
22. Hangover Management 59
23. Road Journal, February 1980 60
24. Who Is That Guy? 63
25. No, Really, Who the Hell Is That Guy? 64
PART IV. “HEAVY TRAFFIC AHEAD”
26. Kentucky Fried Festival, Louisville 69
27. Taking My Time Capsules 71
28. John Duffey 72
29. On to Pocatello! 73
30. Rooms/No Rooms 74
31. Of Gloves and Bananas 76
32. Pushing the Bus up Cumberland Gap 77
PART V. “MY LAST DAYS ON EARTH”
33. Master of Bluegrass 81
34. Back in the Saddle 84
35. Monroe Hangs Tough, But It’s Tough 85
PART VI. “ROCKY ROAD BLUES”
36. The Accidental Road Manager 101
37. West Coast Routing and Canadian Customs 103
38. Road Burns and the Right Rock 106
39. Rich Comes Along for the Ride 108
40. The Poker to End All Poker 110
41. Bill on Dolly, Wayne on Bill 112
42. Winning in Tahoe 113
43. Monroe Pays the Piper 114
44. The First Thing I’m Going to Do 115
45. Bean Blossom International 116
46. All Day at the Record Table 118
47. Bluegrass Death Trip 121
48. Bill Keeps Grinding 122
49. Checking on Paycheck 126
50. Mule Day, April 3, 1982, Columbia, Tennessee 128
51. Opening the Knoxville World’s Fair, May 1, 1982 129
52. Uncle Birch and Southern Funerary Traditions 131
PART VII. “PRECIOUS MEMORIES”
53. Taking the Gospel Shot 135
54. July 24–27, 1982 137
55. Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, via the Emergency Room 139
56. A Record-Breaking Diss 141
57. River Ranch Resort 143
58. Bill’s Birthday in Louisville 144
59. Country Hardball 146
60. McClure via Coeburn 149
61. Roll On Buddy 152
PART VIII. “OVER THE WAVES”
62. Hello, Ireland! 157
63. Bill Gets His Encore 160
64. A Wonderful School of Music 162
65. The Blue Grass Goys in Israel 163
PART IX. “LIVE AND LET LIVE”
66. Pittsburgh, Unplugged 169
67. Feats of Magic 170
68. PTL: Pass The Loot 172
69. Bluegrass and the Hippies 174
PART X. “ON AND ON”
70. Just Be Ready 179
71. Serving Notice 181
72. The Road Is Clear 183
73. Grand Ole Après 185
At Last, Thanks 187
Further Reading 193
Index 195
