Earl Scruggs Dead at 88

I grew up listening to Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs with the Foggy Mountain Boys, Scruggs’ speedy banjo picking making a sound that others couldn’t duplicate. Competing with stars like Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs played the Grand Ole Opry, the Newport (RI) Folk Festival, and were featured in a 1954 Broadway show called “Hayride.”

In in the late 60s the partnership broke up… Flatt died in 1979… and Scruggs formed the Earl Scruggs Revue, a mostly acoustic group with drums and electric bass, which further broadened its repertory to include rock and touches of modern jazz. They played Carnegie Hall, London’s Wembley music festival, and were featured in films and television shows.

Scruggs was known for creating a “pickin'” style using 3 fingers instead of 2.

Here’s Foggy Mountain Breakdown: