Earl Scruggs was born January 6, 1924 in Shelby, North Carolina, in Cleveland County.
For many, bluegrass began when Earl Scruggs joined Bill Monroe’s band with his blazingly fast three-fingered picking banjo style. It quickly became and remains the standard for the true bluegrass banjo sound.
Earl’s next endeavor, Flatt & Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys, continued his fame and legend through work in films and television. From 1948 until 1969 Flatt & Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys dominated the bluegrass field due to their residency on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, yet that fame was dwarfed by their huge success in 1962.
In 1962 they recorded the theme song for The Beverly Hillbillies leading bluegrass into mainstream American culture. That popular TV show led Flatt & Scruggs’ long-time signature tune, Foggy Mountain Breakdown, to be chosen as the background music for the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde. In 1969 Earl sought a more contemporary sound and split with Lester to make music with his sons and other musicians in Nashville.
Flatt & Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys were elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1985. Earl Scruggs received the National Heritage Award in 1989, the highest honor given by the National Endowment for the Arts to folk and traditional artists.
“Probably the first thing I can remember hearing as a young child was Earl Scruggs’ banjo,” said celebrated musician Jerry Douglas in 2020. “Little did I know that later in life he would be my friend. I doubt if I would be a musician now if it hadn’t been for that sound. I know I am not alone in making that statement.”
Earl Scruggs died March 28, 2012 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Books
Earl Scruggs and Foggy Mountain Breakdown by Thomas Goldsmith, University of Illinois Press, October 2019. 978-0-252-04296-6, 978-0-252-08478-2, 978-0-252-05182-1.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.