I was riding in a car with my mom and
my friend today and asked if they knew who Earl Scruggs was. Mom didn’t, but my
friend enthusiastically said that she did. She grew up listening to his music,
and he was responsible for her lifelong love of bluegrass music. Sadly, she had
not heard of his passing and was very sad when I told her about it.
Scruggs was a banjo player
extraordinaire and a legend in the music industry. He has a signature sound that
influenced many popular artists, including Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. My
friend mentioned listening to Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt and referred to
them as “the blue grass boys.”
Scruggs is one of the most revered
American musicians in history. Porter Wagoner once said of him, “Earl was to
the five-string banjo what Babe Ruth was to baseball. He is the best there ever
was and the best there ever will be.” His sound was so recognizable that it
came to be known as “the Scruggs picking style.”
In 2001, Steve Martin performed on Earl Scruggs and Friends. Martin, who
became famous as an actor and comedian but is also an accomplished banjo
player, said that Scruggs was “the most important banjo player who ever lived.”
Scruggs was 88 years old when he died
of natural causes yesterday. His unique style has influenced the way the
majority of banjo players use their instruments today. He played the banjo in
such a unique and interesting way that he changed the way almost all other banjo
players who came after him play. Quite a legacy, indeed.
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