Thursday, March 29, 2012

Remembering Earl Scruggs

Born in the county adjacent to Earl Scruggs and raised on healthy doses of bluegrass, it is only appropriate that we honor Earl Scruggs and his contributions to bluegrass and the banjo. Known to play a tune or two on the banjo myself I know that I have Scruggs to thank as a pioneer of the "three- finger picking" bluegrass banjo style.


Scruggs was born in 1924 in Shelby, NC. He rose through the ranks of musical fame in Nashville, TN and played in the first  bluegrass band, aptly named the "Blue Grass Boys". His unique finger-picking style could be heard in "The Beverly Hillbillies" theme song as well as the film "Bonnie and Clyde". Scruggs and Lester Flatt won a Grammy with "Foggy Mountain Breakdown". Scruggs died in Nashville of natural causes on March 28 at the age of 88.


Foggy Mountain Breakdown - Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt

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