Welcome to the BMAM Archives Page.
What you see is the result of years of work, donations and the collaboration of many people. They feel, as I do, that the documentation of Maine’s rich bluegrass history is vital in understanding and learning the roots of how our favorite music got started and its progression through the years.
Maine is a long way from Kentucky and Nashville, Tennessee, but radio brought bluegrass music north to Maine and beyond. Mainers were listening and began emulating their favorite country artists, brother duets, string bands, and old-time musicians.
By 1945, Bill Monroe set the Grand Ole Opry ablaze with his new band lineup—widely considered the birth of bluegrass music. That exciting sound, with Scruggs-style banjo, speed, syncopation, and tight harmony singing, inspired countless musicians worldwide.
When I started attending bluegrass shows in the mid-1970s, I pinned posters to my kitchen wall. As I traveled, the collection grew. In 1985, Nellie Kennedy and I started our own festival. By then, I was an alumnus of the Bluegrass Supply Company, and Nellie was a member of the Misty Mountaineers. We were both performing often, and our collection continued to grow.
In the late 1990s, we donated the collection to the newly formed BMAM, where we were charter members. The Archive Committee was born, and we began actively seeking materials tied to Maine’s bluegrass history.
Enter BMAM member Darwin Davidson. Without his involvement, this archive likely wouldn’t exist. A respected photographer and longtime contributor to festivals like Grey Fox and Thomas Point Beach, Darwin offered to photograph and help categorize the entire collection—a monumental task.
Nellie and I made many trips Down East to begin the work. Due to the collection’s size, we initially posted content on a temporary Facebook page while waiting for website upgrades.
Enter BMAM member Cyndi Longo, our current webmaster, who has spent countless hours building and maintaining the archive pages.
The physical collection is stored at the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame Museum (272 Lewiston Road, Mechanic Falls, ME). BMAM supports the museum annually. The facility is secure, insured, clean, and climate-controlled.
For tours, contact Ken Brooks at 207-654-2227. Donations are encouraged. If you have items to contribute, contact jkennedy@mainebluegrass.org.
So here it is—an ongoing project preserving Maine’s bluegrass history. We hope you enjoy exploring it.
— Joe Kennedy
Click here for the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame’s Purpose and Objectives