Earl Scruggs Biography

Earl Scruggs, Musician
Born asEarl Eugene Scruggs
Occup.Musician
FromUSA
BornJanuary 6, 1924
Flint Hill, North Carolina, USA
DiedMarch 28, 2012
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Aged88 years
Early Life
Earl Eugene Scruggs was born on January 6, 1924, in Flint Hill, Cleveland County, North Carolina, USA. He was the youngest of five children born to Georgia Lula Ruppe and George Scruggs, both of whom were amateur musicians. Earl established an early interest in music, especially the banjo, as his siblings and father all played the instrument.

Increase to Fame
Earl Scruggs began playing banjo at a very young age, and it didn't take long before he developed his special, revolutionary design of playing. At the age of ten, he produced the "Scruggs Style", which is a rolled, syncopated, three-fingered choosing strategy that changed the way people played the banjo and brought a brand-new, driving sound to bluegrass music.

In 1945, Scruggs' musical skill caught the attention of Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass music, and Earl was invited to sign up with Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys. Scruggs' innovative choosing design and his mix with guitar player Lester Flatt ended up being a crucial element in specifying the traditional bluegrass sound.

Flatt and Scruggs
Earl Scruggs left Bill Monroe's band in 1948 along with Lester Flatt, with whom he formed a brand-new band called Flatt and Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys. This brand-new band, led by Flatt and Scruggs, quickly became one of the best-known and most prominent bluegrass bands on the planet.

In 1950, Flatt and Scruggs composed and tape-recorded "Foggy Mountain Breakdown", which became an instant classic and earned them many awards. The song went on to be utilized as the theme for the 1967 film "Bonnie and Clyde", further solidifying its location in American musical history.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Flatt and Scruggs continued to tour extensively and record various albums. They also had a range program on tv called "The Flatt and Scruggs Grand Ole Opry Show", which introduced their music to an even wider audience.

Break Up and Solo Career
In 1969, due to imaginative differences in between the two musicians, Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt chose to part methods. Earl formed a new band called the Earl Scruggs Revue, where he played with his boys, Randy, Gary, and Steve. The band incorporated elements of nation, rock, and folk music with conventional bluegrass, showcasing Earl's flexibility as a musician.

Throughout the 1970s, the Earl Scruggs Revue launched a number of albums and played different music celebrations around the country, making them crucial acclaim. Earl continued his recording profession into the 1980s and 1990s, collaborating with numerous prominent artists and earning many awards, including a Grammy for his involvement in a 1994 bluegrass recording called "The Great Dobro Sessions".

Personal Life
Earl Scruggs married Louise Certain in 1948, and the couple had 3 children: Randy, Gary, and Steve. Louise played a vital function in the success of Flatt and Scruggs, working as the band's manager and scheduling representative.

Death and Legacy
Earl Scruggs passed away on March 28, 2012, at the age of 88 in Nashville, Tennessee. His innovative banjo playing and impact on bluegrass music left a lasting influence on generations of musicians. He was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.

Today, Earl Scruggs is remembered as a pioneering figure in bluegrass music who reinvented the banjo's function in the genre. His signature Scruggs design of playing has ended up being a basic part of discovering the banjo, and his impact on American music will surely be remembered for years to come.

Our collection contains 10 quotes who is written / told by Earl.

Related authors: John Hartford (Musician), Bill Monroe (Musician)

Discography:
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10 Famous quotes by Earl Scruggs

Small: He used to have a tent show, a little tent show, and I thought I was going to get a job working one yea
"He used to have a tent show, a little tent show, and I thought I was going to get a job working one year on the tent show, but he closed it down and I never got to go out there, but anyway, he had a sax and played drums"
Small: I dont think youll ever get enough picking
"I don't think you'll ever get enough picking"
Small: I like drums, really, if theyre under control
"I like drums, really, if they're under control"
Small: I dont like to travel as much as I have in the past, but its good for my soul to get to pick, especiall
"I don't like to travel as much as I have in the past, but it's good for my soul to get to pick, especially with these good musicians and these guys that play so well"
Small: I worked with a guy, I cant think of his name, him and his wife, and one of them had a saxophone and th
"I worked with a guy, I can't think of his name, him and his wife, and one of them had a saxophone and the other played drums. It wasn't a regular job but I did a few gigs around home with them"
Small: I enjoy doing new tunes. It gives me a little bit to perk up, to pay a little bit more attention
"I enjoy doing new tunes. It gives me a little bit to perk up, to pay a little bit more attention"
Small: You know you can get gaudy with something, and they didnt do that. To me, I think its very tasteful, we
"You know you can get gaudy with something, and they didn't do that. To me, I think it's very tasteful, well done, with the silver and gold and the engraving. I think it's very tasteful"
Small: That was one of the best, exciting things for me to play with them. They were very young and eager to g
"That was one of the best, exciting things for me to play with them. They were very young and eager to go. I'd been playing with a band that was mostly old folks that had been together so long we couldn't do anything to excite each other"
Small: She was a great lady. We raised three boys, were together as long as she lived, and now shes passed on
"She was a great lady. We raised three boys, were together as long as she lived, and now she's passed on"
Small: I know she would want me to still do what Im doing, because she kept me going a lot of times when Id al
"I know she would want me to still do what I'm doing, because she kept me going a lot of times when I'd almost lose interest in getting out on the road"