Earl Scruggs has passed away

[10mfan]

A giant...

An amazing player. Great musician who has certainly left his mark here.

[bandmommy]

He was one hell of a 'picker' that's for sure.
RIP Mr. Scruggs.

[cymru97]

Sad news, he was indeed a giant and a champion for traditional American music. Thanks for making the world a better place, Mr. Scruggs.

[SAXISMYAXE]

Bluegrass IS Bill Monroe and Flatt and Scruggs in my book, despite the feuds that existed between the duo and Bill. Now they are all gone.

RIP

[ratracer]

This is indeed sad news. I pretty much grew up in the sticks of Missouri on blue grass an hour or so north of Branson. Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs were a big part of that! RIP Earl. Thoughts and prayers out to the surviving family, friends, and loved ones. Earl will be sorely missed.


As an aside, I would have loved to hear/would still love to hear a good tenor sax join in on some of those old blue grass songs like Foggy Mountain Breakdown, Orange Blossom Express, etc. Not sure exactly how it would fit in but it would be a neat experiment to hear a sax take a solo!

[Sidepipes]

Flatt and Scruggs were more than bluegrass! In 1963, my combo was playing at the Officer's Club, Chanute AFB, Rantoul, Illinois, in the bar area. F and S had just played for another venue on the base, and afterwards they came up and asked if they could sit in. Well, I kicked off "How High the Moon" at a upbeat tempo, and man, could those guys really swing! Later, Scruggs said something like "Don't tell anyone we do jazz, too. It would spoil our reputation!"

[ratracer]

Flatt and Scruggs were more than bluegrass! In 1963, my combo was playing at the Officer's Club, Chanute AFB, Rantoul, Illinois, in the bar area. F and S had just played for another venue on the base, and afterwards they came up and asked if they could sit in. Well, I kicked off "How High the Moon" at a upbeat tempo, and man, could those guys really swing! Later, Scruggs said something like "Don't tell anyone we do jazz, too. It would spoil our reputation!"

And why am I NOT surprised at this! Great story - thanks for sharing!!!

[Jazz Is All]

I'm saddened to hear it. I've always loved folk music, blue Grass, Old-Timey music, and traditional country almost as much as I do R&B, blues and my big love, jazz. Earl along with Lester Flatt was a big reason for that. Earl and Bill Monroe were the fathers of modern banjo picking and virtuosi of their instruments and innovators of a great art form. Back in their heyday in the 60's there were tons of pickers around, but none who could come close to their mastery. I'm grateful that I got to see Earl and Lester perform at least 3 times back in the 60's when they were at their height, as well as Bill Monroe a couple of times too, the last back in the 80's.

Keep on picking throughout eternity Earl. We'll be listening.

RIP Lester. Thoughts and prayers out to the surviving family, friends, and loved ones. Lester will be sorely missed.

I know you got confused. It's Earl who just died. Lester died decades ago.

[ratracer]

I know you got confused. It's Earl who just died. Lester died decades ago.

Oops... thanks for the correction. I've fixed it in my post. I always mix their first names up.

[cymru97]

Flatt and Scruggs were more than bluegrass! In 1963, my combo was playing at the Officer's Club, Chanute AFB, Rantoul, Illinois, in the bar area. F and S had just played for another venue on the base, and afterwards they came up and asked if they could sit in. Well, I kicked off "How High the Moon" at a upbeat tempo, and man, could those guys really swing! Later, Scruggs said something like "Don't tell anyone we do jazz, too. It would spoil our reputation!"

What a GREAT story! Man, What I wouldn't give to have witnessed that...

Good old Chanute, it was the closest base to my folks when they retired and moved back home. The next year they closed it... C'est la Vie.

[saxpiece]

Earl was a great player.

I occasionally do banjo like things on guitar because of Earl.

Well, I try to anyway.

First time I heard him was on the Beverly Hillbillies.

[RS]

I was a big fan of Earl. I even played Scruggs style banjo for a few years back in the 70s. I still have my Gibson Mastertone sitting back in a closet. I should dust it off and play a few choruses of Foggy Mountain Breakdown. A friend of mine and former band-mate, Terence McArdle, wrote a nice obit of Earl in the Washington Post.

[jazzbluescat]

If Foggy Mountain Breakdown doesn't make you smile you ain't human.

Rip Earl Scruggs. You could flat-out pick.

[GHawk]

I thought that Mr. Scruggs would have been older than 88. The "Beverly Hillbillies" theme song was done 50 years ago! Sad thing is, I remember when it was a new show on tv LOL.