Instruments of American Excellence

The Kentucky Museum at WKU recently received a mandolin from musical legend Sam Bush. Known for his unique “blend of bluegrass, rock, jazz, and reggae,” Bush has graciously allowed the Museum to display his instrument as part of the Instruments of American Excellence exhibition. The Kentucky Museum has received a mandolin from musical legend Sam Bush to display as part of the Instruments of American Excellence exhibition.

The Bowling Green native helped change the direction of bluegrass music when he co-founded the Newgrass Revival in 1971. The mandolin on display was given to Bush from the Americana Music Association as a gift for the honor of Lifetime Achievement for Instrumentalist in 2009.

“It has been a wonderful experience for the Kentucky Museum and WKU as a whole to be able to share Bowling Green’s own Sam Bush with so many both old and new fans,” said Kentucky Museum Director Brent Bjorkman. “As the leading innovator of Newgrass music, Sam has inspired countless musicians to reach new heights blending musical genre’s at the same time he has remained steadfast to a reverence for the traditional bluegrass music born in this region. Having Sam’s mandolin here as part of the museum’s Instruments of American Excellence exhibit will help us share this Kentucky-born internationally-recognized musical story with visitors for years to come.”

Bush is a member of the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, a recipient of the National Award, Governor’s Awards in the Arts (Kentucky), a four-time International Bluegrass Museum Association Mandolin Player of the Year, and co-winner of three Grammys. This month, Bush will also be recognized at the Kentucky State Capitol for receiving the Governor’s Award in the Arts, National Category.

For information about the Instruments of American Excellence exhibition now displaying the Bush mandolin, go to https://www.wku.edu/iae/index.php or to call (270) 745-2592.

Contact: Jennifer Wilson, (270) 991-7585