Earl Scruggs: Banjo Icon (Roots of American Music: Folk, Americana, Blues, and Country)

As Earl Scruggs picked his banjo with machine gun precision at his 1945 debut at the Ryman Auditorium, he set in motion a successful career and enduring legacy that would eclipse anything the humble farm boy from North Carolina could have imagined. Scruggs's revolutionary three-finger roll patterns electrified audiences and transformed the banjo into a mainstream solo instrument pursued by innumerable musicians. In Earl Scruggs: Banjo Icon, Gordon Castelnero and David L. Russell chronicle the life and legacy of the man who single-handedly reinvigorated the five-string banjo and left an indelible mark on bluegrass and folk music. After his tenure with the father of bluegrass music, Bill Monroe, Scruggs formed (with Lester Flatt) the Foggy Mountain Boys, also known as Flatt and Scruggs; the Earl Scruggs Revue with his sons; and finally his Family & Friends band. Scruggs released more than forty albums and reached millions of fans through performances on The Beverly Hillbillies and his music's inclusion in the 1967 movie Bonnie and Clyde. Over his long career, Scruggs received numerous accolades and collaborated with stars such as Billy Joel, Elton John, Sting, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Vince Gill, Travis Tritt, the Byrds, and Steve Martin. Through interwoven interviews with the Scruggs family and more than sixty notable musicians and entertainers, Castelnero and Russell reveal that, despite the fame Scruggs achieved, he never lost his humility and integrity. This biography testifies to Scruggs's enduring influence and sheds light on the history of bluegrass for musicians, students, and anyone entranced by Scruggs's unmistakable sound. In 1945 at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, the original home of the Grand Ole Opry, a skinny 21 year-old from North Carolina stepped onto the stage and lit a firestorm by picking the five-string banjo like no one had ever heard before. His rapid three-finger technique and clarity of notes sent the audience into a cheerful frenzy. In just one night, Earl Scruggs transformed the banjo, which had been widely associated with clowns and background accompaniment, into a mainstream solo instrument pursued by countless musicians. After a two year stint with the Father of Bluegrass music, Bill Monroe, Earl and lead singer/guitarist, Lester Flatt, formed their own group, the Foggy Mountain Boys, more commonly billed as Flatt and Scruggs. Earl Scruggs recorded and performed with some of the music industry's biggest stars like Billy Joel, Elton John, Sting, the Pointer Sisters, Dan Fogelberg, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Kenny Loggins, Vince Gill, Travis Tritt, Don Henley, and Steve Martin. Gordon Castelnero and David Russell explore Scrugg's rise to fame and lasting legacy on bluegrass music and banjo playing traditions. With interwoven interviews with the Scruggs family and over 30 notable banjo players, this narrative biography will shed light on the history of bluegrass for both amateur and professional musicians, students of music and American history, and any reader entranced by Scrugg's unmistakable sound. In 1945 at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, the original home of the Grand Ole Opry, a skinny 21 year-old from North Carolina stepped onto the stage and lit a firestorm by picking the five-string banjo like no one had ever heard before. His rapid three-finger technique and clarity of notes sent the audience into a cheerful frenzy. In just one night, Earl Scruggs transformed the banjo, which had been widely associated with clowns and background accompaniment, into a mainstream solo instrument pursued by countless musicians. After a two year stint with the Father of Bluegrass music, Bill Monroe, Earl and lead singer/guitarist, Lester Flatt, formed their own group, the Foggy Mountain Boys, more commonly billed as Flatt and Scruggs. Gordon Castelnero and David Russell explore Scrugg's rise to fame and lasting legacy on bluegrass music and banjo playing traditions. With interwoven interviews with the Scruggs family and over 30 notable banjo players, this narrative biography will shed light on the history of bluegrass for both amateur and professional musicians, students of music and American history, and any reader entranced by Scrugg's unmistakable sound. -- Page [4] of cover Earl Scruggs Chronicles The Life And Legacy Of The Man Who Revolutionized The Five-string Banjo And Left An Indelible Mark On Bluegrass And Folk Music. Including Interviews With The Scruggs Family And More Than 60 Notable Musicians, This Narrative Biography Testifies To Scruggs's Enduring Influence And Sheds Light On The History Of Bluegrass. Humble beginnings From blue grass to Foggy Mountain Flatt and Scruggs The Beverly Hillbillies Changin' times Pushing boundaries Earl, Earl, Earl The influence of Earl Scruggs.