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How Alison Krauss' Grammy Award win at the age of 19 became a watershed moment in the history of Bluegrass

"I think Alison really opened the door, but created a real point of accessibility for the mainstream when she started to rise up out of bluegrass,” says banjo player and guitarist Alison Brown

“The story of Bluegrass music isn’t simple. It’s old and young, traditional and progressive, heartfelt and technical. It’s the Appalachian mountains, the big cities, the whole world,” this is what the documentary “Big Family: The Story of Bluegrass Music" sets out to establish.

Bill Monroe, often known as “the father of bluegrass music”, became synonymous with the genre as his Blue Grass Boys essentially created it out of the regional stirrings that defined the '30s music. They went onto capture the hearts of people for six decades.

Apart from the legend himself, Bill’s Blue Grass Band also included banjo player Earl Scruggs (who set the bluegrass standard with his three-finger style) and guitarist Lester Flatt, who went on to become icons in their own regard.

While an increasing number of men who played Bluegrass music achieved fame and recognition over different periods of time, not many women had the same fate.

Accordion player Sally Ann Forrester, considered to be "the first woman in bluegrass", and bass player Bessie Lee Mauldin were hired by Bill to play in his Blue Grass Boys but did not become as popular as some of the male instrument players in the band. 

But all that changed when the Grammy Awards added a separate category of Bluegrass music – different from country music – in 1989.

While the first-ever such award rightfully went to the creator of the genre - Bill’s album “Southern Flavor,” two years later, the award was given to a new-age musician, Alison Krauss for her album, “I’ve got that old feeling.”

By 1970s and 80s more and more women were taking a keen interest in Bluegrass music. Some of the names that managed to create a stir at the time were Gloria Belle, Laurie Lewis, Claire Lynch, the Buffalo gals, Betty Fisher, Rhonda Vincent. “When I first started playing Bluegrass, professionally, there were not very many women. It was sort of a man’s field. I am really happy to say that it has changed a lot since then,” Lewis said in the documentary.

Alison Krauss was the first woman to take the Bluegrass music to a direction never before thought possible. “It was a real watershed moment when she came on the scene. And I think Alison really opened the door, but created a real point of accessibility for the mainstream when she started to rise up out of bluegrass,” banjo player and guitarist Alison Brown of the band Alison Krauss & Union Station said.

Although Krauss began training as a classical musician from her childhood, she ended up becoming a champion fiddler at the age of 13. She said that she loved listening to a variety of music when she was young but it was Rhonda’s music which introduced her to Bluegrass.

After being approached by Rounder Records, she went on to create two albums with the group “Union Station.” At the age of 19, she won her first Grammy Award.

“All through the history of Bluegrass, people in the industry have been hoping for an artist who could really transcend Bluegrass and still kind of bring it along with them. Alison Krauss has done that,” John Lawless, editor of “Bluegrass Today” said.

Inspired by Krauss’ success in the field of Bluegrass, a number of women have since confidently made the genre of music their own. Becky Buller is one such name that went on to create powerful, original pieces with her fiddle. Another prominent musician was Sierra Hull, the first female mandolin player to win the IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year award.

“There’s a place for anybody in Bluegrass music, regardless of color, creed, gender, whatever. There’s a place for everybody. It’s a very inclusive music. It’s kind of almost a secret in a lot of ways. And yet, as we’ve been talking about it is all over the world if you know where to look for it,” Buller said.