Bill parents passed away and his uncle Pen Vandiver raised him and taught him how to play fiddle and mandolin.  Bill and his brothers formed their group,

The Monroe Brothers, later Bill formed his own group The Bluegrass Boys, the name came from the Bluegrass State of Kentucky.  Bill Joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1939.  In 1945 he had Lester Flatt as his lead singer and the same year he hired the young banjo player (who used the three finger style) in his band and they became the premier group on the Grand Ole Opry. A few years later Lester and Earl left Bill and formed their group, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain   Boys.  Bill found the mandolin he played until his death in 1986 in a barbershop and said "It cut through the sound better that any he had heard" and he purchased it.  He played the famous mandolin for about 50 years.  Bill played his last time at the Rosine Barn Jamboree, which he played at on many occasions shortly before he had a stroke and had to enter the nursing home where he passed away.  His funeral was at the Rosine Methodist church where he attended as a boy and the song "Little community church" was written about that church. He had a neice, Rosetta, and the song "My rose of old Kentucky" was written in memory of her.  His uncle Pen raised him and taught him to play and from this the song "Uncle Pen" was written.