Born in Norman, Oklahoma, Munde learned banjo from one of Oklahoma's best pickers, Ed Shelton, and did a lot of non-professional playing around Oklahoma where he first met Byron Berline at the University of Oklahoma. Shelton introduced Alan to three fine Dallas bluegrass pickers - Mitchell Land, Louis "Bosco" Land and Harless "Tootie" Williams - and the four of them joined forces to form "The Stone Mountain Boys" in 1965. Alan moved to Kentucky in January of 1969