HomeEarl Scruggs, bluegrass pioneer, dies at 88
Page 1 of 1
Earl Scruggs, bluegrass pioneer, dies at 88
Betep Thu Mar 29, 2012 6:00 pm
Earl Scruggs, bluegrass pioneer, dies at 88
by Associated Press
It may be impossible to overstate the importance of bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs to American music. A pioneering banjo player who helped create modern country music, his sound is instantly recognizable and as intrinsically wrapped in the tapestry of the genre as Johnny Cash’s baritone or Hank Williams’ heartbreak.
Scruggs died Wednesday morning at age 88 of natural causes. The legacy he helped build with bandleader Bill Monroe, guitarist Lester Flatt and the rest of the Blue Grass Boys was evident all around Nashville, where he died in an area hospital. His string-bending, mind-blowing way of picking helped transform a regional sound into a national passion.
They were best known for their 1949 recording “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” played in the 1967 movie Bonnie and Clyde, and “The Ballad of Jed Clampett” from The Beverly Hillbillies, the popular TV series that debuted in 1962. Jerry Scoggins did the singing. For many viewers, the endlessly hummable theme song was their first introduction to country music.
Best comment on the inter-webs today:
"Do some angels get to play banjos instead of harps? I like to think they do."
by Associated Press
It may be impossible to overstate the importance of bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs to American music. A pioneering banjo player who helped create modern country music, his sound is instantly recognizable and as intrinsically wrapped in the tapestry of the genre as Johnny Cash’s baritone or Hank Williams’ heartbreak.
Scruggs died Wednesday morning at age 88 of natural causes. The legacy he helped build with bandleader Bill Monroe, guitarist Lester Flatt and the rest of the Blue Grass Boys was evident all around Nashville, where he died in an area hospital. His string-bending, mind-blowing way of picking helped transform a regional sound into a national passion.
They were best known for their 1949 recording “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” played in the 1967 movie Bonnie and Clyde, and “The Ballad of Jed Clampett” from The Beverly Hillbillies, the popular TV series that debuted in 1962. Jerry Scoggins did the singing. For many viewers, the endlessly hummable theme song was their first introduction to country music.
Best comment on the inter-webs today:
"Do some angels get to play banjos instead of harps? I like to think they do."
Last edited by Betep on Thu Mar 29, 2012 6:18 pm; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : added clip)
Betep-
Posts : 2035
Join date : 2010-06-05
Age : 49
Location : N 41°43 W070°12
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum