Sam Bush (b. April 13, 1952 in Bowling Green, Kentucky) was a founding member of the New Grass Revival and has been called a modern day Bill Monroe. The State of Kentucky has designated him as “the father of newgrass music.”
Attending the Fiddlers Convention at Union Grove, North Carolina in 1970, Bush overheard the pioneering progressive bluegrass band the New Deal String Band. Inspired by their rock-flavored approach to bluegrass, he formed the New Grass Revival in 1971.
The group was successful enough to have the group’s name become a unique music genre: “newgrass music”.
March 30. 2010, Governor Steve Beshear signed HJR 154 — Designating Sam Bush as “The Father of Newgrass Music” and Bowling Green, Kentucky as “The Birthplace of Newgrass Music.”
