Trend Results : Earl Scruggs

Milestones: Legends of the Watson Clan

For fans of traditional music, 2012 was a sad year, with bluegrass, folk, and other acoustic genres all losing notable figures. Several of these artists, such as Earl Scruggs, have recently been remembered with tribute albums and collections of their most influential work. Doc Watson’s [...]

Life without Earl

This tribute to Earl Scruggs on the anniversary of his passing is a contribution from Jim Mills, a life-long student of Scruggs-style banjo, and a serious collector of the sort of pre war Gibson banjos that Earl played. Jim also maintains a large collection of [...]

Young Uns #1 – Paige Anderson and the Fearless Kin

We never cease to be enchanted by the youthful vigour of young musical talent.  Young Uns in bluegrass go back as far as Earl Scruggs pictured with his banjo-playing older brother Junie. Since then, there has been a young Sonny Osborne playing banjo with Bill [...]

Locks for Likes with Flamekeeper

The tales of road antics from bluegrass musicians are many, from J.D. Crowe putting toy cars in Phil Leadbetter’s dobro to Keith Whitley impersonating the late Lester Flatt over CB radio to Earl Scruggs’ tour bus. Similar situations often arise onstage, as the musicians interact [...]

On this day #8 – Ballad of Jed Clampett

On this day ….. On this day 50 years ago, January 19, 1963, the Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs’ recording of the Ballad of Jed Clampett topped the Billboard Hot Country singles charts. The song spent 20 weeks on the charts and was in the [...]

Watch A Montage Of Music Greats We Lost In 2012

Adam “MCA” Yauch. Levon Helm. Etta James. Earl Scruggs. Whitney Houston. Kitty Wells. We lost a lot of great musicians this year, so the New York Times put together a montage to pay tribute to those who died in 2012. The video’s great,...Show More Summary

Giving Thanks (Bluegrass Edition)

While we count our many blessings, I want to take a couple of minutes to note some of the things I’m thankful for in the bluegrass world. For starters, I’m grateful that folks like Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs had the foresight to [...]

The Romney-Ryan Energy Plan and Jed Clampett

Take a listen to this Earl Scruggs tune as we read the Romney-Ryan Energy Plan. They are promising energy independence on a platform that is essentially “drill baby drill” with as they cite some claim from the Institute for Energy Research that we have 1.4 trillion barrels of technically recoverable oil, which they claim would satisfy U.S. Show More Summary

Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson – American Virtuosos

The legendary Doc Watson passed away on Tuesday, coming just months after the death of the legendary Earl Scruggs. Both men had such a huge influence on American music that it would be impossible to talk about the development of Folk or … Continue reading ?

Doc Watson, 1923-2012

 Another of the grand old men of country and bluegrass music has picked his last. Doc Watson has died, aged 89. Here he is with Earl Scruggs at Doc's place some years back.  And here he is more recently singing Amazing Grace:

Doug Dillard, R.I.P.

Bluegrass banjo player Doug Dillard passed away last night after a lengthy illness. He was 75.Dillard began playing banjo as a child and idolized Earl Scruggs (who passed away back in March). After Scruggs replied to a letter he wrote, Dillard convinced his parents to drive him to Scruggs home in Madison, Tennessee. Show More Summary

10 Essential Bluegrass Artists You Need to Know

If the recent passing of music legend Earl Scruggs left you wanting to know more about bluegrass, then you’re in for a treat. Anna Schwaber and Chris Cloyd, the filmmakers behind The Porchlight Sessions, an exciting new documentary that traces the evolution of the sound, have kindly offered to walk us through some of their [...]

News Appetizers Have Had a Long Week

This last week of March has been something. Here are your headlines, although you may want to go play with bunnies instead. Earl Scruggs, amazing banjo player and major contributer to American roots music, died at 88. As someone who has listened to a lot of bluegrass in her time, this news made me sad. [...]

'The Beverly Hillbillies' and other great storytelling TV themes

"The Beverly Hillbillies" theme song featured great banjo playing by Earl Scruggs. It also nicely set up the world of "The Beverly Hillbillies." But it isn't the only TV series to tell a tale in its opening moments.

ACM Awards 2012: Earl Scruggs tribute from Steve Martin, Rascal Flatts

Steve Martin and Rascal Flatts pay tribute to the late Earl Scruggs at the 2012 Academy of Country Music Awards.

Earl Scruggs remembered for musicianship, humility

Earl Scruggs was remembered Sunday as an influential, helpful and humble banjo player who put his own trademark on bluegrass music.

Earl Scruggs Remembered for Banjo Excellence

Some 2,300 mourners attended Scruggs' public funeral at the Ryman Auditorium, where he played his songs for years on the Grand Ole Opry country music show and recorded his final album

GARDEN AND GUN: Remembering Earl Scruggs….

GARDEN AND GUN: Remembering Earl Scruggs.

In praise of Adrienne Rich, 1929–2012

We lost a couple more just recently, Earl Scruggs and the poet Adrienne Rich. Here's a taste of Rich, one of the finest of the moderns: Translations December 25, 1972 You show me the poems of some womanmy age, or youngertranslated from...Show More Summary

Kevin Siers on Earl Scruggs