Earl Scruggs
Encyclopedia
Earl Eugene Scruggs is an American musician noted for perfecting and popularizing a 3-finger banjo-picking style (now called Scruggs style
) that is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music
. Although other musicians had played in 3-finger style before him, Scruggs shot to prominence when he was hired by Bill Monroe
to fill the banjo slot in the "Blue Grass Boys".
.
's Blue Grass Boys in late 1945, and quickly popularized his syncopated, three-finger picking style. In 1948 Scruggs and guitarist Lester Flatt
left Monroe's band and formed the Foggy Mountain Boys
, also later known simply as Flatt and Scruggs. In 1969, they broke up, and he started a new band, the Earl Scruggs Revue, featuring several of his sons.
On September 24, 1962 singer Jerry Scoggins
, and Lester Flatt
and Scruggs recorded "The Ballad of Jed Clampett
" for the TV show The Beverly Hillbillies
which was released October 12, 1962. The theme song became an immediate country music
hit and was played at the beginning and end of each episode. Flatt and Scruggs appeared in several episodes as family friends of the Clampetts in the following years. In their first appearance, season 1 episode 20, they portray themselves in the show and perform both the theme song and "Pearl Pearl Pearl".
On October 15, 1969, Scruggs played his Grammy-winning "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" on an open-air stage in Washington, D. C., at the Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam
, becoming one of the very few bluegrass or country-western artists to give support to the anti-war movement. In an interview after his performance, Scruggs said:
in 1969
for Scruggs' instrumental "Foggy Mountain Breakdown
." They were inducted together into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1985. In 1989, Scruggs was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship
. He was an inaugural inductee into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor
in 1991. In 1992, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts
. In 1994, Scruggs teamed up with Randy Scruggs
and Doc Watson
to contribute the song "Keep on the Sunny Side" to the AIDS
benefit album Red Hot + Country
produced by the Red Hot Organization
.
In 2002 Scruggs won a second Grammy award for the 2001 recording of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown", which featured artists such as Steve Martin
on 2nd banjo
solo (Martin played the banjo tune on his 1970s stand-up comic acts), Vince Gill
and Albert Lee
on electric guitar solos, Paul Shaffer
on piano, Leon Russell
on organ, and Marty Stuart
on mandolin. The album, Earl Scruggs and Friends, also featured artists such as John Fogerty
, Elton John
, Sting, Johnny Cash
, Don Henley
, Travis Tritt
, and Billy Bob Thornton
.
On February 13, 2003, Scruggs received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
. That same year, he and Flatt were ranked #24 on CMT
's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music.
's Baptist Hospital following a lengthy illness.
On September 13, 2006, Scruggs was honored at Turner Field
in Atlanta as part of the pre-game show for an Atlanta Braves
home game. Organizers (Banjo.com) set a world record for the most banjo players (239) playing one tune together (Scruggs' "Foggy Mountain Breakdown"). On February 10, 2008, Scruggs was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.
named Earl Scruggs among his influences and has stated that Scruggs is "certainly the best" banjo player of the three-finger style.
Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson and Ricky Skaggs
Flatt and Scruggs
Scruggs style
Scruggs style is the most common style of playing the banjo in bluegrass music. It is a fingerpicking method, also known as three-finger style. It is named after Earl Scruggs, whose innovative approach and technical mastery of the instrument has influenced generations of bluegrass banjoists ever...
) that is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
. Although other musicians had played in 3-finger style before him, Scruggs shot to prominence when he was hired by Bill Monroe
Bill Monroe
William Smith Monroe was an American musician who created the style of music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader...
to fill the banjo slot in the "Blue Grass Boys".
Biography
Scruggs was born in Flint Hill near Boiling Springs NC, to Georgia Lula Ruppe and George Elam Scruggs. He grew up in Cleveland County, North CarolinaCleveland County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 98,078 people, 37,046 households, and 27,006 families residing in the county. The population density was 207 people per square mile . There were 40,317 housing units at an average density of 87 per square mile...
.
Career
Scruggs joined Bill MonroeBill Monroe
William Smith Monroe was an American musician who created the style of music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader...
's Blue Grass Boys in late 1945, and quickly popularized his syncopated, three-finger picking style. In 1948 Scruggs and guitarist Lester Flatt
Lester Flatt
Lester Raymond Flatt was a bluegrass musician and guitarist and mandolinist, best known for his membership in the Bluegrass duo The Foggy Mountain Boys, also known as "Flatt and Scruggs," with banjo picker Earl Scruggs. Flatt's career spanned multiple decades; besides his work with Scruggs, he...
left Monroe's band and formed the Foggy Mountain Boys
Foggy Mountain Boys
The Foggy Mountain Boys were an influential bluegrass band founded by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs in 1948, shortly after leaving Bill Monroe’s band. They recorded and performed together up until 1969.-Biography:...
, also later known simply as Flatt and Scruggs. In 1969, they broke up, and he started a new band, the Earl Scruggs Revue, featuring several of his sons.
On September 24, 1962 singer Jerry Scoggins
Jerry Scoggins
Jerry Scoggins was an American country/western singer, guitarist, and band leader. He performed on radio, in movies, and on television from the 1930s to the 1980s...
, and Lester Flatt
Lester Flatt
Lester Raymond Flatt was a bluegrass musician and guitarist and mandolinist, best known for his membership in the Bluegrass duo The Foggy Mountain Boys, also known as "Flatt and Scruggs," with banjo picker Earl Scruggs. Flatt's career spanned multiple decades; besides his work with Scruggs, he...
and Scruggs recorded "The Ballad of Jed Clampett
The Ballad of Jed Clampett
"The Ballad of Jed Clampett" was the theme song for The Beverly Hillbillies TV show and movie, providing the back story for the series. The song was written and composed by Paul Henning, and sung by Jerry Scoggins, who was accompanied by bluegrass musicians Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs...
" for the TV show The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
which was released October 12, 1962. The theme song became an immediate country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
hit and was played at the beginning and end of each episode. Flatt and Scruggs appeared in several episodes as family friends of the Clampetts in the following years. In their first appearance, season 1 episode 20, they portray themselves in the show and perform both the theme song and "Pearl Pearl Pearl".
On October 15, 1969, Scruggs played his Grammy-winning "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" on an open-air stage in Washington, D. C., at the Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam
Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam
The Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam was a large demonstration against the United States involvement in the Vietnam War that took place across the United States on October 15, 1969. The Moratorium developed from Jerome Grossman's April 20, 1969, call for a general strike if the war had not...
, becoming one of the very few bluegrass or country-western artists to give support to the anti-war movement. In an interview after his performance, Scruggs said:
I think the people in the South is just as concerned as the people that's walkin' the streets here today . . . . I'm sincere about bringing our boys back home. I'm disgusted and in sorrow about the boys we've lost over there. And if I could see a good reason to continue, I wouldn't be here today.
Awards and honors
Flatt and Scruggs won a Grammy AwardGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in 1969
Grammy Awards of 1969
The 11th Grammy Awards were held on March 12, 1969. They recognized accomplishments of musicians for the year 1968.-Award winners:*Record of the Year**Paul Simon & Roy Halee & Simon & Garfunkel for "Mrs...
for Scruggs' instrumental "Foggy Mountain Breakdown
Foggy Mountain Breakdown
"Foggy Mountain Breakdown" is a bluegrass music instrumental by the bluegrass artists Flatt and Scruggs. It is a standard in the bluegrass repertoire. Banjo players consider the ability to deliver a convincing rendition of this piece the mark of an intermediate-level banjo player...
." They were inducted together into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1985. In 1989, Scruggs was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship
National Heritage Fellowship
The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States' highest honor in the folk and traditional arts...
. He was an inaugural inductee into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor
International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor
Induction to the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, called the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor from its creation in 1991 through 2006, is managed by the International Bluegrass Music Association, and the Hall itself is maintained at the International Bluegrass Music Museum in...
in 1991. In 1992, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts
National Medal of Arts
The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts. It is the highest honor conferred to an individual artist on behalf of the people. Honorees are selected by the National Endowment for the...
. In 1994, Scruggs teamed up with Randy Scruggs
Randy Scruggs
Randy Scruggs is a music producer, songwriter and guitarist. He had his first recording at the age of 13...
and Doc Watson
Doc Watson
Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson is an American guitar player, songwriter and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues and gospel music. He has won seven Grammy awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Watson's flatpicking skills and knowledge of traditional American music are highly regarded...
to contribute the song "Keep on the Sunny Side" to the AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
benefit album Red Hot + Country
Red Hot + Country
Red Hot + Country was the follow-up to No Alternative in the Red Hot Series of compilation albums, a series produced to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/HIV and related health and social issues...
produced by the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
.
In 2002 Scruggs won a second Grammy award for the 2001 recording of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown", which featured artists such as Steve Martin
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
on 2nd banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
solo (Martin played the banjo tune on his 1970s stand-up comic acts), Vince Gill
Vince Gill
Vincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
and Albert Lee
Albert Lee
Albert William Lee, born 21 December 1943 in Leominster, Herefordshire, England, is an English guitarist known for his fingerstyle and hybrid picking technique. Lee has worked both in the studio and on tour with some of the most famous musicians which stretch through a very wide of genres...
on electric guitar solos, Paul Shaffer
Paul Shaffer
Paul Allen Wood Shaffer, CM is a Canadian musician, actor, voice actor, author, comedian, and composer who has been David Letterman's sidekick since 1982.-Early years:...
on piano, Leon Russell
Leon Russell
Claude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
on organ, and Marty Stuart
Marty Stuart
John Martin "Marty" Stuart is an American country music singer-songwriter, known for both his traditional style, and eclectic merging of rockabilly, honky tonk, and traditional country music...
on mandolin. The album, Earl Scruggs and Friends, also featured artists such as John Fogerty
John Fogerty
John Cameron Fogerty is an American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist, best known for his time with the swamp rock/roots rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival and as a #1 solo recording artist. Fogerty has a rare distinction of being named on Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 Greatest...
, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, Sting, Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, Don Henley
Don Henley
Donald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful solo career. Henley was the drummer and lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up...
, Travis Tritt
Travis Tritt
James Travis Tritt is an American country music singer from Marietta, Georgia. He signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1989, releasing seven studio albums and a greatest hits package for the label between then and 1999. In the 2000s, he released two albums on Columbia Records and one for the defunct...
, and Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton is an American actor, screenwriter, director and musician. Thornton gained early recognition as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire and in several early 1990s films including On Deadly Ground and Tombstone...
.
On February 13, 2003, Scruggs received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
. That same year, he and Flatt were ranked #24 on CMT
CMT
- Medicine :* California mastitis test* Certified Massage Therapist* Cervical motion tenderness, a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease* Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease* Chemically modified tetracyclines* Circus Movement Tachycardia...
's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music.
Personal life
Scruggs' wife and manager, Louise, died on February 2, 2006, aged 78, at NashvilleNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
's Baptist Hospital following a lengthy illness.
On September 13, 2006, Scruggs was honored at Turner Field
Turner Field
Turner Field is a stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, home to Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves since 1997. Turner Field was originally built as Centennial Olympic Stadium, it was completed in 1996 to serve as the centerpiece of the 1996 Summer Olympics...
in Atlanta as part of the pre-game show for an Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
home game. Organizers (Banjo.com) set a world record for the most banjo players (239) playing one tune together (Scruggs' "Foggy Mountain Breakdown"). On February 10, 2008, Scruggs was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.
Legacy
Bela FleckBéla Fleck
Béla Anton Leoš Fleck is an American banjo player. Widely acknowledged as one of the world's most innovative and technically proficient banjo players, he is best known for his work with the bands New Grass Revival and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones.-Early life and career details:Fleck was born in...
named Earl Scruggs among his influences and has stated that Scruggs is "certainly the best" banjo player of the three-finger style.
Albums
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Heat Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
US Bluegrass | ||
| 1967 | Strictly Instrumental Strictly Instrumental Strictly Instrumental is the title of a recording by American folk music artists Doc Watson, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, released in 1967.-Reception:... (with Lester Flatt Lester Flatt Lester Raymond Flatt was a bluegrass musician and guitarist and mandolinist, best known for his membership in the Bluegrass duo The Foggy Mountain Boys, also known as "Flatt and Scruggs," with banjo picker Earl Scruggs. Flatt's career spanned multiple decades; besides his work with Scruggs, he... and Doc Watson Doc Watson Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson is an American guitar player, songwriter and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues and gospel music. He has won seven Grammy awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Watson's flatpicking skills and knowledge of traditional American music are highly regarded... ) |
||||
| 1967 | 5 String Banjo Instruction Album | ||||
| 1968 | The Story of Bonnie and Clyde (with Lester Flatt Lester Flatt Lester Raymond Flatt was a bluegrass musician and guitarist and mandolinist, best known for his membership in the Bluegrass duo The Foggy Mountain Boys, also known as "Flatt and Scruggs," with banjo picker Earl Scruggs. Flatt's career spanned multiple decades; besides his work with Scruggs, he... and the Foggy Mountain Boys Foggy Mountain Boys The Foggy Mountain Boys were an influential bluegrass band founded by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs in 1948, shortly after leaving Bill Monroe’s band. They recorded and performed together up until 1969.-Biography:... ) |
||||
| 1969 | Changin' Times | ||||
| 1970 | Nashville Airplane | ||||
| 1972 | I Saw the Light with Some Help from My Friends | ||||
| Earl Scruggs: His Family and Friends | |||||
| Live at Kansas State | 20 | 204 | |||
| 1973 | Rockin' 'Cross the Country | 46 | |||
| Dueling Banjos | 202 | ||||
| The Earl Scruggs Revue The Earl Scruggs Revue The Earl Scruggs Review is the title of a recording by Earl Scruggs, released in 1973.-Track listing:Side 1# "If I'd Only Come and Gone" – 2:55# "Tears" – 2:12# "Some of Shelley's Blues" The Earl Scruggs Review is the title of a recording by Earl Scruggs, released in 1973.-Track listing:Side 1#... |
169 | ||||
| 1975 | Anniversary Special | 104 | |||
| 1976 | The Earl Scruggs Revue 2 | 161 | |||
| Family Portrait | 49 | ||||
| 1977 | Live from Austin City Limits | 49 | |||
| Strike Anywhere | |||||
| 1978 | Bold & New | 50 | |||
| 1979 | Today & Forever | ||||
| 1982 | Storyteller and the Banjo Man (with Tom T. Hall Tom T. Hall Thomas "Tom T." Hall is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has written 11 #1 hit songs, with 26 more that reached the Top 10, including the pop crossover hit "I Love", which reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100... ) |
||||
| Flatt & Scruggs | |||||
| 1983 | Top of the World | ||||
| 1984 | Superjammin | ||||
| 1998 | Artist's Choice: The Best Tracks (1970-1980) | ||||
| 2001 | Earl Scruggs and Friends | 39 | 33 | 14 | |
| 2002 | Classic Bluegrass Live: 1959-1966 | ||||
| 2003 | Three Pickers (with Doc Watson and Ricky Skaggs Ricky Skaggs Rickie Lee "Ricky" Skaggs is a country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo.-Early career:... ) |
24 | 179 | 2 | |
| 2004 | The Essential Earl Scruggs | ||||
| 2005 | Live with Donnie Allen and Friends | ||||
| 2007 | Lifetimes: Lewis, Scruggs, and Long |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
CAN Country | |||
| 1970 | "Nashville Skyline Rag" | 74 | — | Earl Scruggs: His Family and Friends |
| 1979 | "I Sure Could Use the Feeling" | 30 | 41 | Single only |
| "Play Me No Sad Songs" | 82 | 66 | Today & Forever | |
| 1980 | "Blue Moon of Kentucky Blue Moon of Kentucky "Blue Moon of Kentucky" is a waltz written in 1946 by bluegrass musician Bill Monroe and recorded by his band, The Blue Grass Boys. The song has since been recorded by many artists, including Elvis Presley.... " |
46 | — | |
| 1982 | "There Ain't No Country Music on This Jukebox" (with Tom T. Hall Tom T. Hall Thomas "Tom T." Hall is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has written 11 #1 hit songs, with 26 more that reached the Top 10, including the pop crossover hit "I Love", which reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100... ) |
77 | — | Storyteller and the Banjo Man |
| "Song of the South Song of the South (song) "Song of the South" is the title of a song written by Bob McDill. First recorded by American country music artist Johnny Russell, it reached number 57 on the U.S. Billboard country chart in 1981. Covered by Tom T. Hall and Earl Scruggs, it was a number 72 country single for them in 1982 from the... " (with Tom T. Hall) |
72 | — |
Guest singles
| Year | Single | Artist | Chart Positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | ||||
| 1998 | "Same Old Train" | Various Artists | 59 | Tribute to Tradition |
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | "The Dirt Road" (with Sawyer Brown Sawyer Brown Sawyer Brown is an American country music band founded in 1981 in Apopka, Florida, by five members of country pop singer Don King's road band: Bobby Randall and Jim Scholten , both from Midland, Michigan; Joe Smyth , Gregg "Hobie" Hubbard , and Mark Miller... ) |
Michael Salomon Michael Salomon Michael Salomon is a music video/film director, who has directed many music videos, including many of Toby Keith's music videos... |
| 2001 | "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" (Earl Scruggs and Friends) | Gerry Wenner |
DVDs
- Earl Scruggs - His Family and Friends (2005)
- (Recorded 1969. Bob Dylan, The Byrds, Bill Monroe, Joan Baez et al.)
- Private Sessions (2005)
- The Bluegrass Legend (2006)
Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson and Ricky Skaggs
Ricky Skaggs
Rickie Lee "Ricky" Skaggs is a country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo.-Early career:...
- The Three Pickers (2003)
Flatt and Scruggs
- The Best of Flatt and Scruggs TV Show Vol 1 (2007)
- The Best of Flatt and Scruggs TV Show Vol 2 (2007)
External links
- Official Website
- Interview with www.CountryMusicPride.com Interview with www.CountryMusicPride.com
- at the Country Music Hall of Fame
- on MCA Nashville
- on Rounder Records
- Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum