I tried to play the banjo for awhile. I quit before I mastered the Scruggs three-finger roll. Banjo is still my favorite bluegrass instrument, and no one played it better than Scruggs. I bet Bill Monroe is almost smiling up there and I know old Lester is ready to pick a few with his old friend.
Bluegrass Legend Earl Scruggs Has Died
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drHCosJWH0Q
Flatt and Scruggs played at many radio stations, the night time mass media of the era. WSVS in Crewe Virginia has restored one of the studios used by Flatt and Scruggs (according to the WSVS website)
http://www.wsvsam.com/index.shtml
http://www.wsvsam.com/studio.shtml
I heard them on the Grand Ole Opry on WSM 650, on a five tube radio.
I live about 50 minutes from Crewe. I did not know that. Very cool. Thanks! If there weren’t too many psychos out there, I’d post the YouTube video of my wife and I and our bluegrass band playing a show.
Dad was a huge fan when I was a kid and Flats & Scruggs was on a lot in our house, along with Chet Atkins, Johnny Cash, etc. My dentist in San Francisco has gone to a bluegrass camp for the past 20+ years that I think he said Earl either started or used to show up at a lot.
Gen-u-wine original American artist, that Earl.
Sorry, Lester; “Flatt.”
Your dad sounds like a great man. I’ve seen all of the masters play, save for Bill Monroe.
Indeed he was. Played guitar, learning mandolin first when he played with his family because it was “easiest” as a little boy to handle.
He said that for a very long time in his youth, when you went to the movies down South there would be at least one live opening act. He saw Lester & Earl, Andy Griffith, Don Knott,s individually (before they were on TV) and several other “legends.”
They might have been promoting a record, because he said the movie was still like a dime or something…
I was a little kid at the time, so my memory may be incorrect as to who was singing the Martha White commercials. The Opry was a regular thing at my house. WSM (and the other clear channel stations) had huge night time signals, in the context of that era.
At night the radio came alive with sounds from the big cities.
What great memories…Our plan is to retire to the mountains and spend our evenings sitting on the porch listening to a.m. stations on an old radio.
Just visited the Opry site to see if I could figure out who was doing the Martha White ads back then. I see The Steep Canyon Rangers just celebrated their new CD at the Opry. They opened for us one time in Harrisonburg, Va. Lol… It was only because they had a longer drive than we did after the show. Good times though.
I remember Tennessee Ernie Ford as the spokesman for Martha White, but I don’t remember the singing…
Bela Fleck was interviewed at the end of PBS NewsHour tonight re Earl Scruggs. Interesting if you can still catch it.
Absolutely will try to find it. Thanks!
I was just listening to allison krass ! seen doc and earl ! we still have Bela fleck and jerry douglas sammy bush,
growing up in telluride, co we have 5 day bluegrass festival every june ! 35 yrs seen’um !
Here’s one for you. Ever seen Sam Bush John Cowan play as “Duck Butter”?
They say everything can be replaced,
Yet every distance is not near.
So I remember every face
Of every man who put me here.
I see my light come shining
From the west unto the east.
Any day now, any day now,
I shall be released.
They say evry man needs protection,
They say evry man must fall.
Yet I swear I see my reflection
Some place so high above this wall.
I see my light come shining
From the west unto the east.
Any day now, any day now,
I shall be released.
jerry G at his best !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFiIJ4vW2IU&feature=player_detailpage
Sigh…Used to follow them…Saw that very same JGB tour. Feels like a lifetime ago. So much has changed.
Thanks for that.
we have lost a great player. thanks for the post.
Times like these I mourn that the place I am is so much poorer but then I smile and think that the place I’ll go someday is that much richer.
RIP (Revel in Paradise) Earl.
Really nice tribute post, Wood. Thank you for this, as it was really nice to listen to the links and read everyone’s comments.
RIP Mr. Scruggs
(we played Vince Gill’s “Go Rest High on that Mountain” at the cemetary during my mom’s burial, so it was bittersweet listening to that one, but beautiful all the same)
Ars Longa, Vita Brevis.
Thank you, Mr. Flatt, for all the wonderful music.