Earl Scruggs, Country Music Hall of Fame Member has Died, He was 88.

 

Country music pioneer and legend has died at age 88. He passed away today, Wednesday in a Nashville Hospital.

Earl was born in 1924 near Shelby, North Carolina. He popularized what became known as the “three-finger picking” banjo style of playing.  Bluegrass might not have been the same without it.

Much of his career was played with his partner Lester Flatt. Flatt passed away in 1979.

His first big break came when he joined Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys in 1945. Flatt was a member there as well. He stayed with them until they left to form a duet. They originally called the new group the Foggy Mountain Boys. The name would eventually be changed to simply Flatt and Scruggs.  They would remain a band until 1969.

Along with singer Jerry Scoggins, they would record “The Ballad of Jed Clampett” for The Beverly Hillbillies television show in 1962. They would also appear in several episodes.

Flatt and Scruggs were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1985.

Blow you’ll find “Foggy Mountain Breakdown.” Below that you’ll find 1975’s “Banjo Man” written by Jim Messina. Here’s what Jim Messina had to say about the song and Mr. Scruggs…. “My heart goes out to all of Earl’s family and friends on this day. It was an blessing and an honor to have written and performed the title song, “Banjo Man” a song I wrote in admiration of Earl, released on his “Anniversary Special Album Vol 1” in 1975, the banjo man’s 25th anniversary of signing with Columbia/CBS Records. The song “tells all” about how much Earl influenced my life both as a child, growing up with Flatt and Scruggs on the turntable, all the way up until I wrote the song, “Banjo Man” in 1975. Earl may you “Rest in Peace” for all the years of good you brought onto this planet.”

— Larry Carta

Here the  Jim Messina penned, “Banjo Man”