The Man Celebrated in Song

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The song “Uncle Pen” is one of the iconic tunes of bluegrass music. Thanks to Ricky Skaggs’ cover in the mid-80s, it’s also very well-known in country music as well. Bill Monroe wrote the song in tribute to his uncle, Pendleton Vandiver. Vandiver took Monroe in after Bill’s parents died. He helped teach Bill music, setting the youngster’s feet on the course that would lead him to “create” bluegrass music and end up in the Country, Bluegrass, Songwriters, and Rock halls of fame. Uncle Pen’s Cabin is one of those places that I went to on the pilgrimage to Rosine (something that’s necessary for bluegrass music fans). It’s not a “cabin” in the sense that the most famous cabin in Kentucky, Abraham Lincoln’s Birthplace National Historical Park, is. The cabin has been restored (there are planks of wood from the original cabin where the termite teeth marks are clearly visible) but is a replica of Vandiver’s homestead when Monroe lived with him. James Monroe, Bill’s son, bought the property for his father as a birthday present. Although the restoration never happened in Bill’s lifetime, it’s open to visitors now. When I was there I was greeted by Monroe’s sister-in-law, who showed me around the cabin. She quickly pointed out the things that were replicas or “period pieces” so no one would think that “Bill Monroe cooked on this stove.” (Classy move on her part!) She even took a photo of me sitting on the swing on Uncle Pen’s back porch!! I got a T-shirt while I was there, which was extremely reasonably priced ($15). I gave the change for the $20 to the people who maintain the cabin and other places of Bill Monroe history in the town. (As I said yesterday in discussing the Bill Monroe homestead, donations are welcome but not begged for. I had to ask if they had T-shirts for sale!) “High on the hill and above the town, Uncle Pen played the fiddle.” I’ve been there to that special place that inspired a song, a man, and a genre of music. Here’s Bill Monroe and his classic tribute to his uncle: