Interview with Bill Keith, October 19, 2007
Project: Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum Oral History Project
Interview Summary
In this interview with Bill Keith, he discusses his introduction to music and his early experiences playing banjo. He describes how he developed a melodic style of playing the banjo, also called "Keith style." He tells many anecdotes about his long music career including his time playing with Bill Monroe, writing a music book with Earl Scruggs, and his work as a session musician with musicians like Judy Collins, among others. He talks about teaching banjo, his business Beacon Banjo Company, and the business side of the music industry.Interview Accession
Interviewee Name
Interviewer Name
Interview Date
Interview Keyword
Melodic style Jim Kweskin Jug Band (Artist) Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys (Artist) Monroe, Bill (Artist) Bill Monroe (Artist) Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys (Artist) Rooney, Jim (Artist) Jim Rooney (Artist) Scruggs, Earl (Artist) Earl Scruggs (Artist) Muleskinner (Artist) Woodstock (N.Y.) Bluegrass festivals Boston (Mass.) Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Keith style Keith pickingInterview LC Subject
Musical instruments. Banjo music (Bluegrass) Musical inventions and patents. Music--Instruction and study. Bluegrass music. Bluegrass musicians Musical groups. Musical performance Sound--Recording and reproducing Radio programs. Music--Performance. Music business Music--Economic aspects. Records. Sound recordings. Bands (Music)Interview Rights
The Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History has been licensed by the International Bluegrass Music Museum as the exclusive archival repository for this collection. All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, belong to the International Bluegrass Music Museum.?Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky.Interview Usage
Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky.Restriction
Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky.
The Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History has been licensed by the International Bluegrass Music Museum as the exclusive archival repository for this collection. All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, belong to the International Bluegrass Music Museum.?Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky.
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Keith, Bill Interview by Nick Barr. 19 Oct. 2007. Lexington, KY: Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
Keith, B. (2007, October 19). Interview by N. Barr. Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington.
Keith, Bill, interview by Nick Barr. October 19, 2007, Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum Oral History Project, Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
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Persistent Link for this Record: https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7xwd3pzt0c