Earl Scruggs - January 6, 1924 - March 28, 2012

The Family of Earl Scruggs is deeply grateful for all the thoughts, prayers,and expressions of sympathy that have come from all over the world.

Earl's Memorial Service was held at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee on April 1st. 

WSM radio (clear channel 650) broadcast the Service, and you can listen to it by clicking here.

Read the Tennessean's retrospective story from Thursday March 29th here.

Peter Cooper's wonderful review of the Memorial Service and his Blog entry: Remembering Earl Scruggs.

View Sanford Myer's photo gallery from the service on Tennessean.com

August 18, 2010

Louise Scruggs to be inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame

The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) announced that the late Louise Scruggs will be inducted into its Bluegrass Hall of Fame on September 30, 2010.  Anne Louise Certain and Earl Scruggs were married on April 18, 1948.  In 1955, Louise took on the roles of manager and agent for the Flatt & Scruggs show, thus becoming the first female in the history of country music to perform in those capacities for a major country music act.  She also went on to manage the Earl Scruggs Revue and continued to act as Earl's manager until her passing in February of 2006.

The induction ceremony will take place at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee during IBMA's International Bluegrass Music Awards show.  Eddie Stubbs, famed radio personality and announcer for the Grand Ole Opry, spoke on behalf of IBMA and also announced that the late entertainer John Hartford (1937-2001) will also be inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame.

For more details, please visit:
http://cybergrass.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=7907

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Earl Scruggs With Family & Friends Grammy Nomination

The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences announced nominations for the upcoming 51st annual Grammy Awards to be held in Los Angeles on February 8, 2009.

Earl Scruggs with Family & Friends are among those nominated in the Best Bluegrass Album category for The Ultimate Collection / Live At The Ryman, recorded in June 2007 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, and released earlier this year on Rounder Records. Appearing that evening with Earl were Gary Scruggs, Randy Scruggs, John Gardner, Hoot Hester, Rob Ickes, John Jorgenson, and Jon Randall.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Second Annual Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum hosted its second annual "Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum" on Tuesday evening, November 18, 2008. The Forum celebrates the legacy of country music business pioneer Louise Scruggs and explores aspects related to the business side of the music industry.

Liz Thiels, senior vice president of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, is the 2008 Honoree. Ms. Thiels is also noted for having been an early partner in Nashville’s music venue, the Exit/In. She co-founded the Nashville public relations firm Network Ink in 1979 and represented many country music artists including Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Wynonna, and Brooks & Dunn. Ms. Thiels closed Network Ink in 2001 to join the Museum staff as head of the Museum’s P.R. department.

The Louise Scruggs Museum Forum is sponsored in part by the Gibson Foundation (of Gibson musical instruments). Earl Scruggs and sons Gary and Randy were among the many who attended the Forum.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Earl Scruggs Performs at AFI Tribute to Warren Beatty

The American Film Institute honored actor/movie producer Warren Beatty with its Life Achievement Award at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, California on June 12, 2008. Earl Scruggs took part in the ceremony by performing "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" (featured in the 1967 film, Bonnie and Clyde) as Mr. Beatty entered the ballroom during the opening of the tribute show.

Performing along with Earl were musicians Gary Scruggs, Randy Scruggs, Hoot Hester, Jon Randall, and John Gardner.

Other guests taking part in the presentation included Mr. Beatty’s wife and actress Annette Bening, Al Pacino, Shirley MacLaine, Dustin Hoffman, Faye Dunaway, Julie Christie, Robert Downey Jr., Gene Hackman, Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, and (former) President Bill Clinton. The tribute will air July 8 on the USA Network.

Many in the entertainment industry consider the AFI Life Achievement Award to be the highest honor for a career in film.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Special Merit GRAMMY Honorees Named

The Recording Academy announced today that Earl Scruggs will be one of the 2008 Honorees receiving its highly prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. Other recording artist Honorees include Burt Bacharach, the Band, Cab Calloway, Doris Day, Itzhak Perlman, and Max Roach.

For more details regarding the Special Merit GRAMMY Awards, please visit www.grammy.com

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Earl Scruggs Performs in Kennedy Center Tribute to Steve Martin

Earl Scruggs took part in the 2007 Kennedy Center Honors Gala in Washington, DC on December 2 by performing his instrumental "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" in the tribute to Kennedy Center Honor recipient actor/comedian/writer Steve Martin. Steve, who is also an accomplished banjo player, is a longtime friend of Earl's. Earl and Steve have performed together on The Late Show with David Letterman (two appearances), and The New Yorker Festival.

Other 2007 Kennedy Center Honorees recipients include Leon Fleisher, Diana Ross, Martin Scorsese, and Brian Wilson.

The show will air on CBS on December 26th.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

First Annual Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum hosted its first annual "Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum" on Tuesday evening, November 13, 2007. Denise Stiff, manager of Alison Krauss & Union Station (among others), was the very special guest in an interview conducted by Hall of Fame and Museum staff member, Jay Orr.

One of the many highlights of the interview included Denise's description of her (and Alison's) involvement in the making of the blockbuster film, O Brother, Where Art Thou? Among those attending the event were Alison, Earl Scruggs, Gary Scruggs, and Randy Scruggs.

Museum Director, Kyle Young, opened the program by describing the pioneering managerial efforts of Earl's late wife, Louise, who began managing and booking Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs in 1955. Flatt & Scruggs ended their partnership in 1969, and Louise continued to manage Earl's career until her passing in 2006 at the age of seventy-eight.

Louise Scruggs, considered to be the first female manager in country music history, set new managerial and music business standards for both men and women over the course of her illustrious and trailblazing career.

Sunday October, 14, 2007

Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs Inducted into Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame

Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs were inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame at the 38th Annual Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony held in Nashville on October 14. Marty Stuart delivered the induction speech and the Del McCoury Band performed several F&S songs including If I Should Wander Back Tonight, Earl's Breakdown, Don't Get Above Your Raisin' and Little Cabin on the Hill. Stuart joined in with the McCoury Band for a spirited rendition of Earl's classic instrumental, Foggy Mountain Breakdown.

Earl was accompanied by his sons, Gary and Randy, when he went on stage to accept the award. Lester was represented by his widow, Gladys, and granddaughter Tammy Brumfield.

Monday September 10, 2007

Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs to be Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame announced that Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs are among those who will be inducted into its Hall in 2007. Flatt & Scruggs, along with Hank Williams, Jr., will be inducted in the "Songwriter/Artist" category.

Mac McAnally ("Old Flame") and Bob DiPiero ("American Made") will enter in the songwriter category.

Monday August 27, 2007

Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs Nominated for Induction into NSAI Hall of Fame

The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) has announced its finalists for 2007's induction into its prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame. Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs are among the five finalists in the "Songwriter/Artist" category.

Lester and Earl collaborated on many compositions, and both are known for their individual compositions as well.

The other 2007 NSAI Songwriter/Artist nominees are J.J. Cale ("Cocaine" Eric Clapton), Amy Grant ("Baby Baby"), Tony Joe White ("Rainy Night in Georgia") and Hank Williams, Jr. ("All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight").

Tuesday June 5, 2007

North Carolina House and Senate honors Earl Scruggs

Both the North Carolina House and Senate voted unanimously to adopt a resolution honoring North Carolina native Earl Scruggs on June 5, 2007. The late singer/songwriter Don Gibson, another Cleveland County native, was also honored in the resolution. Earl attended the event at the state capitol in Raleigh and was accompanied by his son Gary, nephew J.T. Scruggs, and road manager Hugh Howell. Senator Walter Dalton, D-Rutherford, sponsored the resolution.

Wednesday February 21, 2007

Earl Scruggs receives Lifetime Achievement Award from the Folk Alliance

The North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance presented its Elaine Weissman Lifetime Achievement Award to Earl Scruggs at its 2nd Annual Folk Alliance Awards Show.

The Awards Show was held in Memphis, Tennessee on February 21, 2007. Also receiving the award were the late Manny Greenhill (record producer and longtime manager for Joan Baez and Doc Watson, among others), and the late performer Dave Van Ronk.

Sunday September 11, 2005

Louise Scruggs to receive SOURCE honor

The SOURCE Foundations Awards Committee has named Louise Scruggs as one of this year's honorees for the third annual SOURCE Awards Ceremony and dinner to be held November 3rd at the St. Bernard's Convent Chapel in Nashville, TN. The award honors pioneering women of Music Row, living and deceased, who have worked professionally in the country music industry since pre-1970.
Ms. Scruggs shares the spotlight with the following honorees: Peggy Bradley, Dean May, Dianne Petty, Judy Roberts, Peggy Sherrill, Marijohn Wilkin and the late Ruby Audean Bradley Strange.

Friday September 9, 2005

Earl Scruggs to receive Recording Academy Honors from NARAS

The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) has announced that it will honor Earl Scruggs, Alison Krauss and Tim McGraw at a ceremony at Loews Vanderbilt Plaza in Nashville, TN on November 7th.
The awards honor "outstanding individuals whose work embodies excellence and integrity and who have improved the environment for the creative community," according to NARAS.
Proceeds from the awards dinner will benefit the Recording Academy's professional, educational and advocacy programs. Proceeds from a corresponding silent auction will benefit the MusiCares Hurricane Katrina relief fund.

Friday August 26, 2005

New Instructional Book and CD's Now Available

Be sure to check out the Merchandise page for the newly revised "Earl Scruggs and the Five-String Banjo" book and CD, as well as new reissues: Earl Scruggs: I Saw The Light with Some Help From My Friends, Flatt & Scruggs: Foggy Mountain Jamboree each with 3 bonus tracks. A new compilation Flatt & Scruggs: Foggy Mountain Gospel is also available.

Thursday August 25, 2005

Earl Scruggs appearances in New York

Earl Scruggs will be appearing at The New Yorker Festival on Saturday September 24. "A Conversation with Music" has the theme "The Great American Banjo" features Earl Scruggs, Tony Ellis, Pete Wernick, and Charles Wood talking with comedian Steve Martin. Visit The New Yorker Festival website for more details.

While in New York, Earl Scruggs will appear on The Late Show with David Letterman on Wednesday September 21st. Dubbed "Men with Banjos (Who Know How to Use Them)," Scruggs will appear with Pete Wernick and Steve Martin.

Friday July 22, 2005

Earl Scruggs named "North Carolinian of the Year"

The North Carolina Press Association presented Earl Scruggs with the honor of "North Carolinian of the Year" at their NCPA Annual Convention at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC. The NCPA began honoring its North Carolinians of the Year in 1993, when Elizabeth Dole received the first annual award. The award goes to an individual who reflects pride in North Carolina and who has brought honor and recognition to the state. Other recipients of this award have been Peggy Kirk Bell, Meadowlark Lemon, Rev. Billy Graham, Hugh Morton, William Friday, Bob Timberlake, Doc Watson, Dean Smith, Jeanne Robertson and Gen. Hugh Shelton.

Thursday June 16, 2005

Earl Scruggs Talks Telluride

Earl and Louise featured in USA Today

Tuesday March 15, 2005

Berklee College of Music to Honor Country Music Legend Earl Scruggs With Honorary Doctorate, All-Star Tribute Concert at Country Music Hall Of Fame® and Museum, March 15

Private Ceremony Among Highlights on Student Trip to Learn and Network with Grammy Winners and Top Country Artists in Nashville

BOSTON, MA, February 25, 2005 — Berklee College of Music President Roger H. Brown will present to pioneering country music artist Earl Scruggs an honorary doctorate of music degree at a private ceremony and tribute concert on Tuesday, March 15, at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum. Celebrating with Scruggs in song and tribute will be friends and admirers Bela Fleck, Marty Stuart, Gillian Welch, David Rawlings, and Ricky Skaggs. Berklee vocal professor Donna McElroy and a group of faculty members will also perform at the event.

"Earl Scruggs first re-invented the banjo and then went on to show its range and power as an instrument," says President Brown. "An icon of American contemporary music, his rhythmic and melodic ideas have become a permanent part of our musical consciousness. On behalf of the several hundred Berklee College of Music alumni working in Nashville, we are proud to welcome Earl Scruggs to the ranks of our distinguished Honorary Doctorate recipients."

The 81-year-old Scruggs is being recognized for making enduring contributions to the world of music over his lifetime. This honor puts him in the prestigious company with such fellow recipients as Duke Ellington, Sting, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, Billy Joel, Ahmet Ertegun, John Williams, Patti LaBelle, Nancy Wilson, Paul Simon, David Bowie, and Dizzy Gillespie, among others.

Scruggs is a musical pioneer, a revolutionary banjo player, and one of the best-known artists in the history of country music. He has received four Grammy Awards, a National Medal of the Arts, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, among other distinctions. He is an inductee to the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the International Bluegrass Music Association's Hall of Honor. Scruggs began his career in 1945 with Bill Monroe. While a member of Monroe's Blue Grass Boys, he met singer/guitarist Lester Flatt, with whom he would start Flatt & Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys in 1948. The group became the most prominent band in bluegrass history and made popular this sound to millions of listeners with their theme to the enduring TV series The Beverly Hillbillies, "The Ballad of Jed Clampett." Scruggs also wrote and recorded the instrumental "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" that was used throughout the movie Bonnie and Clyde. The instrumental won two Grammy Awards.

When he parted ways with Flatt in 1969, Scruggs then formed the Earl Scruggs Revue with his sons, and increased his audience further with a repertoire that included folk-rock and other outside influences with the traditional country genre. Scruggs remains an active performer with concert tours, recordings, and TV appearances.

More than 150 Berklee students – including some from Malaysia, Indonesia, Switzerland, and the U.K. - will be in Nashville for spring break and will join local alumni, members of Berklee's Boston community, and friends of Scruggs' for the presentation and concert. For the past 18 years, students have come to Nashville to gain an insider's knowledge of the music industry by meeting and learning from top performers, songwriters, publishers, producers, and engineers.

Berklee professors Pat Pattison and Stephen Webber have organized a stellar lineup of artists this year to meet with students, including Grammy-winning performers and songwriters Ricky Skaggs, Mike Reid, Tim Nichols, Craig Wiseman, and Kathy Mattea. Grammy winning producer Kyle Lehning will present a clinic. Beth Nielsen Chapman and Josh Leo will also talk shop with the students. Berklee's spring break in Nashville is from March 12 – 16.

Berklee College of Music was founded on the revolutionary principle that the best way to prepare students for careers in music was through the study and practice of contemporary music. For over half a century, the college has evolved constantly to reflect the state of the art of music and the music business. With over a dozen performance and nonperformance majors, a diverse and talented student body representing over 70 countries, and a music industry "who's who" of alumni, Berklee is the world's premier learning lab for the music of today — and tomorrow.

Thursday March 3, 2005

From NashvilleScene.com:

The Godfather of Bluegrass: Even at age 81, banjoist Earl Scruggs is no museum piece

Earl and Louise Scruggs were featured in this week's Nashville Scene.

Monday February 28, 2005

From Tennessean.com:

Scruggs & Scruggs: Banjo master Earl owes much of his fame and success to wife Louise, who served as his manager and agent for more than 50 years

Louise Scruggs was featured in Sunday's Tennessean in anticipation of the Country Music Hall of Fame exhibit opening this Friday.

Read the full story here.

Monday February 14, 2005

EARL SCRUGGS Wins 4th Grammy for "Earl's Breakdown"

From CMT.com:

A true country legend, Earl Scruggs won and was characteristically silent in his backstage appearance with fellow winners the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and his producer son Randy. They won best country instrumental performance honors for "Earl's Breakdown," a track from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Vol. III. The Dirt Band's John McEuen lauded Scruggs as a musical pioneer "who continues to be an inspiration to countless people."

Read the full CMT.com Grammy wrap-up here.

From Tennessean.com:

Banjo man Earl Scruggs picked up his fourth Grammy for Earl's Breakdown, a track recorded with son Randy Scruggs, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Vassar Clements and Jerry Douglas. It was the Dirt Band's third Grammy, Randy Scruggs' fourth, Douglas' fifth and Clements' first.

From HollywoodReporter.com:

Bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs isn't ready to slow down, even as the Country Music Hall of Fame prepares to immortalize him with an exhibition about his life. "It sure is good to still be performing and recording," said Scruggs, who won best country instrumental performance for "Earl's Breakdown" with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band featuring Earl Scruggs, Randy Scruggs, Vassar Clements and Jerry Douglas. Said Earl Scruggs of the exhibition: "I'm extremely excited about it. It means a lot to me, and I'm glad to be part of it."

Thursday February 10, 2005

Banjo Man: The Musical Journey of Earl Scruggs to Open March 4th

Country Music Hall of Fame ® and Museum's BANJO MAN  HONORING THE CONTINUING LEGACY OF BANJO MASTER EARL SCRUGGS   81 year-old legend to perform at Merlefest, Bonnaroo, Telluride    February 10, 2005 (Nashville, Tenn.) - Almost by definition, a museum’s exhibits document the past.  Yet when the Country Music Hall of Fame ®  and Museum’s cameo exhibit, Banjo Man: The Musical Journey Of Earl Scruggs opens on March 4 (remaining open through June 2006), it will celebrate not only the immense accomplishments of the world’s greatest banjo player, but it will also spotlight a career that continues to this day.  For, while the musical revolution he began more than 60 years ago would have earned him the distinction on its own, Earl Scruggs has given the world much more.   While visitors to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum are exploring Banjo Man’s summation of his career, Earl Scruggs himself will be carrying on, appearing this year at the trifecta of youthful roots music celebrations—North Carolina’s Merlefest (April 30), Tennessee’s Bonnaroo Music Festival (weekend of June 10) and Colorado’s Telluride Bluegrass Festival (June 19) —sharing the stage, as he has for more than 40 years, with a dazzling array of younger artists, virtually all of whom recognize his unique stature as a musical visionary—a stature so great that when pop-rock singer Melissa Etheridge was asked by a Boston reporter why she participated in Earl Scruggs And Friends, she replied simply, “because he’s Earl Scruggs, that’s why.’”    From the banjo on which he first developed the techniques that would lay the groundwork for the creation of bluegrass—and give the instrument a hitherto undreamed-of musical flexibility—to the 2001 Grammy statuette he won for a new recording of his most famous composition, “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” Banjo Man: The Musical Journey Of Earl Scruggs tells its story with a remarkable collection of memorabilia, artifacts and audio-visual displays.    Historic posters, original album cover art, songbooks, business materials and excerpts from Martha White-sponsored TV shows cover the legendary partnership of Scruggs with Lester Flatt, which earned the duo entry into the Country Music Hall of Fame 20 years ago.  But Banjo Man goes beyond the Flatt & Scruggs years, using video footage, instruments and posters -even an elaborate stage outfit created by Louise Scruggs for one of her sons - to explore the forward-looking country-rock fusion created by Earl and his sons in the Earl Scruggs Revue and to consider Scruggs' subsequent work as a solo artist and leader of today's Earl Scruggs Family And Friends Band.    The exhibit breaks new ground, too, by examining the indispensible contributions of Louise Scruggs to the careers of her husband and sons.  A pioneer in booking and artist management, Louise Scruggs was in the vanguard of the professionalization of Nashville’s music business in the 1950s and 1960s, and played a critical role in helping to bring the music of Flatt & Scruggs and the Earl Scruggs Revue to audiences well beyond the bluegrass and country mainstream—a role she continues to fill to this day.  From the toy typewriter she played with as a child through business correspondence from the Flatt & Scruggs years, the exhibit sheds new light on a significant partnership between lifelong companions.   Complementing the Banjo Man exhibit, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will present a full schedule of interviews, film screenings, concerts, and panel discussions, and plans are in the works to release on DVD a selection of vintage Flatt & Scruggs Martha White TV shows. Taken together, the elements of the Musuem's tribute make for a compelling, absorbing portrait of one of America’s great artists and his musical family.   Upcoming events include:   Saturday, March 5       1:00 p.m.       Family Program Banjo for Kids with Pam Gadd                   Children and their parents get to know the rudiments of the banjo, including the parts of the instrument; basic picking and fretting techniques; and beginning banjo repertoire. Ages 5 and up.  Banjos provided by Gibson Guitar Corp.  $5.00 per child (free for Museum members) with up to two accompanying adults admitted free.   Saturday, March 5     2:00 p.m.       Q&A Session Earl Scruggs and Family Q&A Session In celebration of the opening of the Museum’s Banjo Man exhibit, Earl Scruggs, his wife Louise, and sons Gary and Randy talk about their musical family in a Q&A Session led by 650 WSM-AM’s Eddie Stubbs. Free.   Saturday, March 5        4:00 p.m.       Performance Country and bluegrass band The Grascals celebrate the musical legacy of Earl Scruggs with classic songs from his career and material from their own self-titled debut album.  The Grascals have toured and recorded as Dolly Parton’s band for the past year.   Individual members have toured and recorded with artists like Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, the Osborne Brothers, and Uncle Josh Graves.   Free.   Saturday, April 16     2:00 p.m.      Interview Session Louise Scruggs: Music Management Pioneer Louise Scruggs and D.J. McLachlan (Earl’s representative for nearly 30 years) discuss Mrs. Scruggs's role as a pioneering woman in the music business, guiding the career of her husband and his bands, Flatt & Scruggs, The Earl Scruggs Revue, and the Family and Friends Band.   Accredited by the American Association of Museums, the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964. The Museum’s mission is the preservation of the history of country and related vernacular music rooted in southern culture.  With the same educational mission, the Foundation also operates CMF Records, the Museum’s Frist Library and Archive, CMF Press, historic RCA Studio B, and Hatch Show Print.   The Ford Division of the Ford Motor Co. is a Founding Partner of the $37 million Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum, which opened on May 17, 2001.

Visit the Country Music Hall Of Fame website for more information.

Monday January 24, 2005

EARL SCRUGGS CONCERT DATES ANNOUNCED

Check the Tour Dates page for all of the details about these just announced shows:
Knoxville, TN - March 19
Wilkesboro, NC - April 30
Cherokee, NC - June 17
Telluride, CO - June 19
Mineral, VA - July 16
Bayfield, WI - August 20
Fish Creek, WI - August 21
Brunswick, ME - September 3
San Francisco, CA - October 1
Myrtle Beach, SC - November 26

Wednesday January 19, 2005

EARL SCRUGGS TO PLAY BONNAROO 2005

2005 Bonnaroo Music Festival Initial Artist Announcement

Superfly Productions and A.C. Entertainment are proud to announce the initial lineup for the 2005 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. The fourth annual three-day camping and music festival will be held on June 10-12, 2005, on the same 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, 60 miles south of Nashville. A list of confirmed acts follows, with more to be announced before the on sale and in the weeks ahead to round out the festival's 60-plus acts.

Tickets for the 2005 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival will go on sale Saturday, January 29th at 10:00 AM Eastern Time through www.bonnaroo.com.

For more information go to www.bonnaroo.com.

2005 Bonnaroo Confirmed Artists (many more artists to be announced):

Widespread Panic (2 shows), Dave Matthews Band, The Allman Brothers Band, Jack Johnson, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Modest Mouse, Gov’t Mule, Bela Fleck Acoustic Trio, The Mars Volta, John Prine, Yonder Mountain String Band, My Morning Jacket, Keller Williams, STS9, Earl Scruggs & Friends, Joss Stone, O.A.R, Toots and the Maytals, Umphrey's McGee, Iron & Wine, Ozomatli, Rilo Kiley, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Drive-By Truckers, Particle, Joanna Newsom, Xavier Rudd, Ray Lamontagne, The Gourds, Secret Machines, Donna The Buffalo, John Butler Trio, Ollabelle, Citizen Cope, Brazilian Girls, M. Ward, Madeleine Peyroux,

Specific performance days and times for each artist will be announced in the coming months.

Complete festival information is available at www.bonnaroo.com which will be continually updated.

Thursday September 23, 2004

Louise Scruggs named "Diamond Diva"

The Miss Music City/Miss Capital City Scholarship Pageant will be held Saturday, September 25 in Nashville, featuring a remarkable group of young women competing in the categories of private interview, evening wear, talent and swimsuit. Pageant Week kicks off on Thursday, September 23, with Diamond Divas: A Tribute to Remarkable Women to be held at the historic Hermitage Hotel. Louise Scruggs, the wife and manager of Country Music Hall of Fame member Earl Scruggs, and Ellen Williams, founder and CEO of Nashville-based Givere Chocolatiere, will be recognized with special diamond awards created by Sites Jewelers, of Clarksville, for their accomplishments, achievements and visions and for providing exemplary role models for the young women who compete in the Miss Music City/Miss Capital City program.

For the full story, go to the Review Appeal site.

Wednesday September 22, 2004

Earl Scruggs Live Presented by Martha White

The Country Music Hall of Fame has posted a photo gallery from the September 7th and 14th shows on their website. Click here to see their gallery.

Wednesday September 8, 2004

Earl Scruggs Hall Of Fame Residency - Photo Gallery

Last night's Hall of Fame performance was packed full of great music and great fans.
Take a look at some photos from last's show in the photo gallery.

And be sure to read Peter Cooper's review "Scruggs leads rollicking trip through his music" from The Tennessean.

Sunday September 5, 2004

Earl Scruggs Hall Of Fame Residency to start this Tuesday

Earl Scruggs and his family and friends will move into the Ford Theater of the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville on Tuesday for the first of four performances this month.

Read the preview articles from the local papers here:

• If only the boys back at the old mill could see Earl Scruggs now - The Tennessean
• Scruggs starts residency with concert tonight - The Nashville City Paper
• Scruggstacular - Nonpareil banjoist Earl Scruggs takes up residence at the Country Music Hall of Fame - The Nashville Scene
• Pick Us a Song, You're the Banjo Man - The Rage

Banjo Man residency concert tickets ($30.00/limit four per customer for each show) are on sale now at the Museum box office. For MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover credit card orders, call (615) 416-2001 or (800) 852-6437.

Friday August 20, 2004

Earl Scruggs nominated for 2 IBMA Awards

The International Bluegress Music Association has nominated the album The Three Pickers for Album of the Year and Recorded Event of the Year. The album is a live concert recording of Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson and Ricky Skaggs and is available on CD and DVD.

The awards will be presented in Lousville, KY on October 7th.

Tuesday August 10, 2004

MARTHA WHITE TO PRESENT BANJO MAN EARL SCRUGGS
AND HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS BAND
FOR SEPTEMBER RESIDENCY PERFORMANCES
AT THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME® AND MUSEUM

80th Birthday Performances Will Herald 2005 Cameo Exhibit
Banjo Man: The Musical Journey of Earl Scruggs and Accompanying Programs

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum's Ford Theater will be Elysium for Earl Scruggs fans when the banjo guru and his Family and Friends Band arrive for four shows, presented by Martha White, in September.

As the Museum's 2004 artist-in-residence, Scruggs will preside over concerts on Tuesdays, September 7, 14, and 2l and on Wednesday, September 29. A changing repertoire and a kaleidoscope of special guests, who will not be announced in advance, will make each historic evening unique. The three-Tuesdays-and-Wednesday series accommodates Scruggs' international appearance schedule. He will return for his final residency performance direct from a concert in Ireland.

Start time for the 75 to 90-minute Banjo Man residency performances is 7:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Bar and food service will be available from SoBro2Go from 6:00 p.m. through intermission.

The residency is part of the Museum's 80th birthday salute to Scruggs, a recipient of the National Medal of the Arts, a Hollywood Walk of Fame honoree and a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame since 1985. The residency performances herald the March 4, 2005, opening of the cameo exhibit Banjo Man: The Musical Journey of Earl Scruggs, which honors both Earl and Louise Scruggs, his wife and business partner.

Staged in the Museum's third floor East Gallery, the Banjo Man exhibit, which will remain open through June 16, 2006, will be accompanied by related publications, the DVD release of vintage Martha White/Flatt & Scruggs television shows from the Museum's collection, and a series of monthly public programs including film screenings, concerts, and panel discussions.

Speaking at Scruggs' 80th birthday celebration earlier this year, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Board President Vince Gill saluted both Earl and Louise Scruggs. "It is altogether fitting that the Museum is undertaking a more than two-year-long tribute," he said. "For decades, they have formed one of popular music's most productive musical and business partnerships. The path they have forged is very much in keeping with our Museum philosophy, which encourages an open-ended, broad-minded interpretation of the country music story."

"The residency performances will include guest appearances by a stellar roster of artists who are, in various ways, inheritors of the Scruggs legacy," said Museum Director Kyle Young. "I think it is reasonable to expect that these performances will be extraordinary events that will resonate through these walls for a very long distance and a very long time."

The leading brand of Southern baking mixes and ingredients, Martha White was founded in 1899 in Nashville. The brand's connection to Scruggs, including the Flatt & Scruggs "You Bake Right with Martha White" jingle and a series of television shows, is American history. "This association of sponsor and performers boosted the fortunes of the company and the musicians alike," Young said. "It is very fitting that Martha White has responded generously to our offer to participate in this extraordinary birthday celebration."

The exhibit Banjo Man: The Musical Journey of Earl Scruggs and related programs, including the residency performances, will trace Earl Scruggs' life and career from early childhood in rural North Carolina through his years with Bill Monroe, the evolution of Flatt & Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys and the adventurous folk-rock of the Earl Scruggs Revue.

The exhibit will also demonstrate how Louise Scruggs' understanding of music and musical trends, coupled with her formidable business acumen, allowed her to steer her husband's career in the direction of ever-widening audiences. In 1955, she began booking and managing the Flatt & Scruggs Show and continues to manage her husband's career today. She was the first woman in country music to assume these roles and she set new standards for the industry.

"Through the residency concerts and the public programs, through the DVD release of historically important television shows and through the Banjo Man biographical cameo, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is preserving the history of country music and telling a great story," Young said. "We are grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Scruggs for opening their home and their personal archive to our curators and for enlisting their musical collaborators to participate in the residency concerts. We are indebted to D. J. McLachlan, who has helped steer Scruggs' career for almost 30 years, for his guidance and support in the planning and execution of the residency, the exhibit and all of the related programming."

Banjo Man residency concert tickets ($30.00/limit four per customer for each show) go on sale Saturday, August 14 at the Museum box office. For MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover credit card orders, call (615) 416-2001 or (800) 852-6437.

Sunday, May 23, 2004

CBS Sunday Morning marked the 70th anniversary of the deaths of Bonnie and Clyde this morning and played "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" throughout the segment.

Tuesday, March 2, 2004

"The Essential Earl Scruggs" Double CD Released Today

Today, Sony Legacy releases "The Essential Earl Scruggs" a collection of 40 songs that span the career of Earl Scruggs. The CD is available for order direct from Earl Scruggs Music via our order form. View the product page for a complete track listing.

Also, check out the new flashing banjo pin that is a replica of Earl's Gibson Granada.

Saturday, February 7, 2004

New Scruggs Collection Due in March

Due March 2, The Essential Earl Scruggs will cover most of the banjo pioneer's career, including his time with Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys, Flatt & Scruggs and the Earl Scruggs Revue. It also features his contribution to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's Will the Circle Be Unbroken albums, as well as later collaborations with Tom T. Hall and Ricky Skaggs. The two-CD set coincides with Scruggs' 80th birthday, which was Jan. 6. At this year's Grammy Awards, Scruggs is nominated for best Traditional Folk album and best country instrumental performance. Both nominations stem from The Three Pickers, a CD and DVD documenting a 2002 concert with Skaggs and Doc Watson.

Wednesday, January 21, 2004

Ten dates have just been added to the concert page. Earl Scruggs and his Family and Friends will be performing across the U.S. and Canada in 2004.
Check the list to see if they are coming close to you.

Tuesday, January 6, 2004

Earl Scruggs celebrated his 80th birthday at a surprise birthday party at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Click the links below to read some of the news coverage from this spectacular event:

Earl Scruggs serenaded by Nashville's finest on his 80th birthday - Gibson.com

'TENNESSEE treasure' Earl Scruggs marks his 80th birthday - The Tennessean, TN
'A-LIST' honors Scruggs - Nashville City Paper, TN
Earl Scruggs gets surprise 80th birthday party - WKRN, TN
Scruggs Turns 80, Gets Surprise Party - ABC News

Wednesday, December 31, 2003

Earl and Louise Scruggs will be featured on an episode of "Southern Living Presents" on the cable channel Turner South on January 9th at 10:30am EST and 6:00pm EST. The piece was filmed several years ago at their home.

Sunday, December 28, 2003

Earl Scruggs and Randy Scruggs have a musical part in the movie "Changing Hearts" that has been released on a VHS and DVD. Starring in the movie are Lauren Holly, Faye Dunaway, Tom Skerritt, Ian Somerholder, Edie McClung and Janet Carrol. Jeannie Seely, Jan Howard, and Rita Coolidge have a part as the Women's Baptist League. Earl and Randy play themselves in the movie as the Wedding Musicians. The movie was filmed in Nashville, Tennessee.

When you purchase the DVD or video, $1.00 from each sale goes to the City of Hope to support their cancer research and support projects.

For more information on the movie go here.

Thursday, December 25, 2003

Earl and Louise Scruggs would like to wish friends and fans everywhere Happy Holidays and good health and happiness in the New Year.

Tuesday, December 23, 2003
from "Brad About You" in The Tennessean

Hall celebrates 80 years of Scruggs
From Tennessean music writer Peter Cooper:

Banjo-playing icon Earl Scruggs is turning 80 on Jan. 6, and his monumental contributions to American music will be celebrated that day at a party at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

The invitation-only celebration kicks off a series of 2004-05 events intended to salute Earl, who reinvented the banjo, helped invent bluegrass and helped forge important connections between country, folk, rock and bluegrass musicians.

The Hall is planning four Earl Scruggs residency performances in the Ford Theater, the DVD release of vintage Flatt & Scruggs television shows, an exhibit that will honor Earl and wife/manager/confidant/tough-cookie Louise Scruggs, and other Earl-centric events.

Thursday, December 4, 2003

Earl Scruggs nominated for two Grammy Awards

Earl Scruggs was nominated for Best Traditional Folk Album for "The Three Pickers" with Doc Watson and Ricky Skaggs. The three are also nominated for Best Country Instrumental Performance for the song "Pick Along." The Grammy Awards show will air on CBS on February 8, 2004 at 8 p.m. EST.

Wednesday, December 3, 2003

Earl will be performing two Christmas songs on Most Wanted Live CMT's "A Very Special Acoustic Christmas" at The Wildhorse saloon in Nashville on December 3. The program will be shown on CMT throughout December. Appearing with Earl are Gary Scruggs, Randy Scruggs, Glen Duncan, Rob Ickes, Jon Randall and Harry Stinson. Other guests on the program are Marty Stuart, Rhonda Vincent, Pat Green and Tift Merritt.

There is an album available, "A Very Special Acoustic Christmas" with a number of other artists including Reba McEntire, Willie Nelson, Alan Jackson, Patty Loveless, Wynonna, Norah Jones and others. Proceeds from the album go to benefit the Special Olympics. This is the sixth record in the Very Special Christmas album series. These recordings have raised more than $70 million for the global Special Olympics Movement.

Saturday, October 4, 2003

Working with Earl at The Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival in Guthrie, Oklahoma were Gary Scruggs, Glen Duncan, Rob Ickes, Jon Randall, Mark Beckett and Albert Lee. Thanks to Byron Berline for a great festival.

Wednesday, September 27, 2003

A Happy Birthday wish to Jesse Scruggs, grandson of Earl and Louise Scruggs.

Thursday, September 25, 2003

Earl and Randy Scruggs recorded a track for John Carter Cash for an upcoming album to be released in 2004.

Sunday, September 14, 2003

The Scruggs Family would like to send condolences to the family of Johnny Cash. Johnny and June were dear friends of the Scruggs' family and they will be greatly missed.

Saturday, September 13, 2003

Earl will be appearing on the televised portion of the Grand Ole Opry with The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Vince Gill in a tribute to Grand Ole Opry patriot, Roy Acuff. Roy was a great performer and an inspiration to Earl and the greatest to ever grace the stage of The Grand Ole Opry.

Wednesday, August 20, 2003

Thanks to all the fans who attended the concerts this past weekend in Bayfield, Wisconsin, Chicago, Illinois and Madison, Wisconsin. Such great and enthusiastic crowds to work to. See the review from the Chicago Sun Times on August 19.

Tuesday, August 19, 2003

A Happy Birthday wish to Melissa Scruggs, granddaughter of Earl and Louise.

Tuesday, August 12, 2003

Earl Scruggs recorded "Jingle Bells, an instrumental track for a Special Olympics album to be released before Christmas. The title of the album is "A Very Special Acoustic Christmas." On the track with Earl are Gary Scruggs, Randy Scruggs, Glen Duncan, Rob Ickes, Jon Randall and Harry Stinson.

Wednesday August 20th, 2003

Earl Scruggs nominated three times for IBMA Awards

Earl Scruggs participated in projects that received three nominations for awards at this year's IBMA awards.  Will the Circle Be Unbroken Vol. III which features the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with an all-star line-up is nominated for Album of the Year and Recorded Event of the Year. Down the Old Plank Road which paired the Chieftains with bluegrass all-stars is also nominated for Recorded Event of the Year.

For the full list of nominations, go here.

Tuesday August 19th, 2003

Earl Scruggs at the Old Town of Folk Music

A review from the Chicago Sun-Times by Bobby Reed

No one has to cover for Earl Scruggs. At 79 years young, the fleet-fingered banjo master can still set fire to the frets. When an elderly music legend appears in concert, often the supporting players must prop up the sagging star. In such scenarios, the backing band hopes to prevent the audience from dwelling on how much the star's abilities have diminished with age.

None of that was necessary Sunday evening during the second of two sold-out shows at the Old Town School of Folk Music. In a briskly paced hourlong set, Scruggs played just as well as-and in some cases, better than-the other members of his cohesive septet.

Scruggs' banjo was the linchpin for many tunes, as his rolling, three-finger picking style invoked a variety of moods. His banjo sounded like a chiming bell on "Salty Dog," but in a spare reading of "Long Black Veil," Scruggs coaxed subtle effects reminiscent of whispering voices.

In a sprightly take on "Earl's Breakdown," Scruggs demonstrated one of his trademark techniques by plucking a string and then immediately twisting a tuning peg in order to bend the note.

The legendary banjoist never addressed the audience, allowing his son Gary (who played electric bass) to act as emcee during a 17-song set that focused on standards. Any fan who has spent time on the bluegrass circuit is intimately familiar with tunes like "Sally Goodin," "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" and "Sittin' on Top of the World." But rarely have these old chestnuts been played with such energy and virtuosity as they were on Sunday night.

Throughout the show, lead vocal duties rotated among four top-tier pickers. Gary belted out an authoritative version of "Paul and Silas," acoustic guitarist Jon Randall (Emmylou Harris, Patty Loveless) enlivened "Borrowed Love" with vibrant phrasing, and fiddler Glen Duncan (George Jones, Mark Knopfler) soared with a mournful "In the Pines."

John Jorgenson, who co-founded the Desert Rose Band, was a dazzling presence on mandolin and electric guitar. His charming lead vocal propelled "The Ballad of Jed Clampett," a chart-topper that was the theme song to "The Beverly Hillbillies" TV series.

The song was originally recorded by Flatt & Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys, the group that the banjoist performed in from 1948 to 1969. Following a split with guitarist-vocalist Lester Flatt, the banjoist formed the Earl Scruggs Revue, a band that incorporated electric instrumentation and explored material outside the bluegrass canon.

More than 30 years later, Scruggs is still traversing this wide-open terrain. His current group includes drums, electric guitar and electric bass, three instruments that are infrequently heard at bluegrass shows.

The dynamic call-and-response interplay between Duncan's fiddle and Jorgenson's electric guitar added a unique sonic texture to several tunes. In a surprise move, Scruggs exchanged his banjo for an acoustic guitar to play a poignant lead melody line on the Carter Family classic "You Are My Flower."

For those in attendance, this moment was just one highlight in a concert that will become a cherished memory.

Thursday August 14th, 2003

"The Three Pickers" Now Available

The concert event "The Three Pickers" is now available on DVD and CD from Earl Scruggs Music. The concert features Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson and Ricky Skaggs with a special appearance by Alison Krauss. It is currently airing nationwide on PBS stations. The DVD and CD feature tracks that are not in the "Great Performances" Special.

Wednesday August 13th, 2003

East Tennessee Date Just Announced!!!

Sunday, August 24, 2003
Sevierville, Tennessee
Earl Scruggs with Family and Friends
Special Guest: Bristol Crossing
Governor's Palace
(Between Sevierville and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee)
4:00 pm
Ticket Information: Purchase tickets at the theatre or charge by phone 866-625-4525

->

Friday August 1st, 2003

Two Dates Just Announced!!!
Earl Scruggs Family and Friends will perform on

August 7th at The Cotillion in Wichita, KS
August 8th at The Grand Palace in Branson, MO

Friday August 1st, 2003

A photo gallery has just been added of the Hollywood Walk of Fame Celebration from February of this year.

Monday July 28th, 2003

"The Three Pickers" Now Airing
Check your local listings for the PBS special "Great Performances - The Three Pickers: Legends of American Music." The special was taped last December at the Reynolds Auditorium in Winstom-Salem, NC and features Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson and Ricky Skaggs. A DVD and CD of the performance are also available with extra songs.

Saturday July 5th, 2003

Earl Scruggs and the Chieftains performed on "The Capitol Fourth" on PBS yesterday. Joined by some great Nashville bluegrass pickers, the group performed songs from the Chieftain's irish/bluegrass project "Down the Old Plank Road." The album and DVD feature Earl picking on "Sally Gooding."

Tuesday June 17th, 2003

Check the concert page for new show dates. The following were just added:
July 4th, Washington, DC
July 13th, Cincinnati, OH
August 17th, Chicago, IL
August 18th, Madison, WI

Wednesday May 14th, 2003

Last Friday, California businessman Jack Hawkins flew to Nashville to pick up his new banjo, Gibson's "The Earl" model. As part of the package, the buyer gets a trip to Nashville to meet Earl Scruggs and pick up the banjo. See the full story on Gibson's website.

Monday May 12th, 2003

We have just launched a new forum to replace the message board. Please visit www.earlscruggs.com/forum and post a message.

Friday May 9th, 2003

"Foggy Mountain Breakdown" is on CMT's list of the top 100 greatest songs of country music. On CMT's website, you can vote for your top 20 favorite songs each day. The final ranking by music experts will be aired during a 6 hour special on June 8.

In a recent special, Flatt and Scruggs ranked 24th in the top 40 Greatest Men in Country Music.

Thursday May 8th, 2003

'Three Pickers' Concert Heads To CD, DVD

A 2002 concert that brought together bluegrass legends Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, and Ricky Skaggs will be documented on upcoming CD and DVD releases. Due July 15 via Rounder, "Three Pickers" features the artists performing in December at the RJR Auditorium in Winston-Salem, N.C., an event captured for PBS' "Great Performances" series.

PBS will begin airing the concert July 28 (check local listings). The DVD version features all of the broadcast footage, plus one additional song in Dolby stereo and 5.1 surround sound, and a 22-minute documentary. The audio release will feature 23 tracks, three of which will not appear in the broadcast.

Among the highlights is a trio performance of Bill Monroe's "Feast Here Tonight" that opens the show. Skaggs joins 80-year-old Watson on "What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul," while Scruggs, 79, leads on "Pick Along" and "Foggy Mountain Top."

Acclaimed fiddler Alison Krauss guests on several songs, including "Down in the Valley To Pray." Other classics performed among memorable stories told by the artists include "Soldier's Joy" and "What Is a Home Without Love."

The DVD boasts the bonus performance of "John Hardy." The CD will include bonus performances of "Daybreak Blues" by Doc and Richard Watson, "Doin' My Time" by Scruggs with Family and Friends, and "Ridin' That Midnight Train" by Skaggs and his band Kentucky Thunder.

Friday February 14th, 2003

Earl Scruggs honored with Hollywood Walk of Fame star

Legendary entertainer Earl Scruggs became the first banjo player to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame yesterday, Feb. 13. Read the full story on Gibson.com and see a photo gallery here.

Wednesday January 8th, 2003

Earl Scruggs and The Chieftains are nominated for a Grammy in the Best Country Instrumental Category for the instrumental "Sally Goodin'". The Chieftains album "Down The Old Plank Road" is nominated in the Contemporary Folk Category. The Grammy winners will be announced at Madison Square Garden in New York on February 23rd at 8 pm ET on CBS.

Tuesday December 3rd, 2002

Earl Scruggs to receive star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Legendary entertainer and innovator Earl Scruggs will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday, February 13, 2003. Scruggs is being honored for his more than 55 years of musical creations and performances on records, radio, television and films.

Read the full story on Gibson.com

Saturday, October 19, 2002

Earl Scruggs will make a guest appearance with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on the televised portion of the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday, October 19. The Dirt Band will be featuring their new album "Will The Circle Be Unbroken Vol. III" on the telecast.

October 16, 2002

Earl Scruggs Can't Get Enough Picking

A recent interview with Earl Scruggs is the feature story of the second edition of the Gibson/Baldwin Player, an online magazine produced by Gibson Guitars.

Go to player.gibson.com to read the story.

October 10, 2002

Earl Scruggs has appeared as a guest and recorded tracks on a number of other artist's recent album releases.

Earl is featured on a track, playing "Sally Gooding," on The Chieftains "Down The Old Plank Road" album. He also made an appearance on The Chieftains concert at the Ryman Auditorium on September 30. He received a standing ovation when he walked on stage and another when he finished his performance.

He recorded on two tracks on The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band album "Will The Circle Be Unbroken Vol III." Earl and John McEuen join up for a banjo duet, and he is playing guitar on a track with June Carter Cash.

In yet another album, he is heard on "Kindred Spirits" with various artists in a tribute to Johnny Cash. He plays guitar on a track with Janette Carter on a song written by Johnny Cash titled "Will You Meet Me In Heaven Someday."

September 12, 2002
Bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs to play N.C. Mountain State Fair
Read a story from the Asheville Citizen Times that ran just before his recent performance.

August 7, 2002
Earl Scruggs to play Harley Davidson 100th Anniversary-Open Road Tour

Earl Scruggs will be a part of the three day Open Raod Tour date at California Motor Speedway in Fontana, California. He will perform on Friday, September 6.

Other artists scheduled to perform that weekend are: George Clinton & Parliament, Funkadelic, The Doobie Brothers, The Doors (Ray Manzarek, Robby Kreiger, John Densmore & Musical Guests), Joe D'Urso & Stone Caravan, Billy Idol, Journey, Kid Rock, Los Lobos, Nickelback, Stone Temple Pilots.

For more information and to order tickets, go here

August 1, 2002
Earl Scruggs has two entries in the preliminary Country Music Awards Nominations.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR -Category No. 3 "Earl Scruggs and Friends" on MCA Nashville.

And another for:
VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR - Category No. 9. Earl Scruggs with Dwight Yoakam for "Borrowed Love" from Earl's album on MCA Nashville.

If you are a voting member of the Country Music Association, your vote for these two would be very much appreciated.

July 31, 2002
On November 3, 2001, Earl Scruggs with Gary and Randy Scruggs, Glen Duncan, Jerry Douglas and Harry Stinson performed on a live radio program for the BBC Radio network. Also featured on the program were Trisha Yearwood, Nickel Creek and Vince Gill. Earl and his guests are first on the program. To listen to the broadcast go to: www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/country

The program's host is Nick Barraclough. To hear the concert, click here. You can hear Earl and the band playing two songs from his new album "Earl Scruggs and Friends," with Gary singing "True Love Never Dies," and Earl playing his signature Grammy Award instrumental "Foggy Mountain Breakdown."

July 18, 2002
Gibson honors Earl Scruggs with The Earl banjo model
In a press conference tomorrow night, Gibson will unveil their latest banjo, The Earl. Get a sneak preview of the banjo and the press release by clicking here. Also, come out to the press conference at Gibson's Bluegrass Showcase at Opry Mills in Nashville at 7:00 pm tomorrow night, Friday July 19 to see Earl Scruggs and the new banjo in person.

July 3, 2002
Read an article and interview with Earl Scruggs prior to his recent concert date with the String Cheese Incident here.

June 21, 2002
Check out the current issue of Country Music Today Issue 11 vol. 2 for an article on Earl Scruggs and his album Earl Scruggs and Friends.
Chely Wright is on the cover. www.countrymusictoday.com

June 20, 2002
Read an article on Earl Scruggs and his album Earl Scruggs and Friends on BMI.com.

June 12, 2002
CMT Flameworthy Awards tonight
Earl Scruggs will be appearing on the CMT Flameworthy Video Awards Show on Wednesday evening, June 12. The show airs from 8:00 PM- 10:00PM CDT on CMT.
Along with Earl will be Gary Scruggs, Randy Scruggs, Glen Duncan, Bryan Sutton, Rob Ickes and Harry Stinson.

June 10, 2002
Royal, That Is: Earl Scruggs, Unassuming King of the Banjo
The Washington Post reviewed the Earl Scruggs and Friends performance in Alexandria, VA on Friday June 7. Read the review here.

May 17, 2002
Update: The person running the CMTAuctions.com site was mistaken. It wasn't a real Gibson Banjo that was up for auction. It was a banjo shaped promotional copy of the Earl Scruggs and Friends release. They removed it from the auction due to the misunderstanding. We are sorry for any inconvenience.

Earl Scruggs has donated a Gibson Banjo shaped promotional CD to CMTAuctions.com to support the Belmont University Athletic Scholarship Fund.

The auction starts on May 14 and ends on May 29. There will be close to 30 items to bid on from well-known country music artists and sports celebrities, such as Steve Azar, Mark Wills, Jamie O'Neal, LPGA and PGA stars, the Duke Blue Devils and the WWF.

See all of the items here or place your bid on the cd now at CMTAuctions.com

May 14, 2002
"Foggy Mountain Breakdown" Nominated for CMT Flameworthy Video Music Award
At a press conference today, nominees for the first annual CMT Flameworthy Video Music Awards were announced. The Earl Scruggs and Friends video of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" is nominated for "Flameworthy Video Collaboration of the Year."

The winner will be determined by fans voting online. So, vote now through June 9 for your favorite CMT videos. (Note, you must register at CMT.com in order to vote.)
See all of the nominees here.

March 16, 2002
Earl's video for "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" has reached number 3 on CMT's Top Twenty Countdown.
Thanks for your votes! You can continue to vote at CMT.com

March 9, 2002
Read a review of the Earl Scruggs concert in Knoxville, TN on the KnoxNews.com site.

Grammy Week:
February 25, 2002
The Scruggs Family, Earl, Louise, Gary, Randy and Lindsey attended a number of functions in Los Angeles during Grammy week. On Monday evening February 25, Earl and Louise attended the MusiCares Show honoring Billy Joel. They were guests of Henry and Catherine Juszkiewicz.

Tuesday, February 26 they attended The Gibson Guitar Awards Luncheon at the Knitting Factory on Hollywood Boulevard where Henry Juszkiewicz presented Earl with a Lifetime Achievement Award and a Gibson Banjo. See the full story at gibson.com.

The Dixie Chicks had invited Earl to perform a number with them on their show at the Universal Amphitheater on Tuesday evening. After the Gibson awards presentation, they were off to the Universal Amphitheater for a rehearsal. Then to the Grammy Awards Reception on Tuesday evening and back to the Universal Amphitheatre folowing the reception for the performance with The Dixie Chicks.

Wednesday, February 27 they attended the Grammy Awards where Earl received a Grammy for his instrumental "Foggy Mountain Breakdown." The instrumental has won two Grammy Awards; one in 1968 and again in 2001. Elated over the win, Louise phoned the artists who performed on the track and who were not at the Awards Show to inform them of the Grammy win. Earl has received twelve Grammy nominations and won three. Wednesday evening they attended the MCA/Universal Records party.

Thursday, February 28. The Scruggs Family and Representative, D.J. McLachlan, celebrated the Grammy win by having lunch with Steve Martin who played banjo on a break on the "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" track. Steve has been a long time friend since the early 1970s.

February 22, 2002. Earl Scruggs will be appearing on the CMT televised portion of the Grand Ole Opry Saturday Night, February 23 at 7:00 PM and again at 9:30 PM hosted by Marty Stuart.

February 14, 2002. Earl Scruggs, Scotty Moore to share Lifetime Achievement honors at Gibson Guitar Awards
Gibson Guitar Corp. announces the nominees for the Orville H. Gibson Guitar Awards to be presented at an awards luncheon on Tuesday, February 26th from 1-3 p.m. at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood. The nominations include over 50 artists in 10 categories that encompass guitar-driven music genres of rock, blues, folk, country and jazz.

In addition, rock guitar pioneer Scotty Moore and legendary banjo great Earl Scruggs are expected to be on hand to receive the Orville H. Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award, the program’s top honor. Several other special honors to be awarded at the ceremony will be announced at a later date.

The annual Orville H. Gibson Guitar Awards are traditionally presented on the day before the Grammy Awards to recognize guitar players (and players of related fretted instruments) for their artistic accomplishments and to honor musicians who reflect the spirit of Orville H. Gibson (1856-1918) and his belief in quality,innovation and tradition. Nominees and winners are voted upon by members of the music media.

The Orville H. Gibson Guitar Awards are presented by Gibson Guitar Corp. and also serve to benefit, through financial assistance, the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Foundation, which helps disabled children through music therapy clinics, research and programs throughout the world.

See all the nominees on Gibson's website.

February 14, 2002. Country, Bluegrass Stars to Turn Out for Sirius
Randy Travis, Earl Scruggs, Tom T. Hall, Tracy Lawrence and Rhonda Vincent & the Rage all were on hand at a private gala Wednesday night (Feb. 13) in Jackson, Miss., marking the launch of Sirius Satellite Radio service in the area.

February 12, 2002. Earl Scruggs to perform in Knoxville, TN on March 8, 2002. The concert is scheduled for the Tennessee Theatre on Friday, March 8, 2002. Tickets go on sale this Friday, February 15. They are available by phone at 865-656-4444 or 877-995-9961.

January 28, 2002. Earl will be signing autographs at the Gibson Showcase at Opry Mills Saturday, February 2 from 2:00 PM. to 3:00 PM. For directions, check out the Showcase's website.

January 25, 2002. Thanks to everyone for sending in your vote to CMT Most Wanted Live for Earl's video "Foggy Mountain Breakdown." On Wednesday the video made it to number 6 on Most Wanted Live, and it has moved up to 13 on the weekly Top 20 countdown. To place your vote, go to the MWL page on Country.com

January 17, 2002 - Grammy Nominated Banjo Player Earl Scruggs will perform on "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" Tuesday, January 22nd

Grammy nominated banjo player Earl Scruggs will be a guest on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" this Tuesday, January 22nd. He will be performing the song "Borrowed Love" with Dwight Yoakam. This track is from his current and critically acclaimed MCA Nashville album Earl Scruggs And Friends.

Another stellar song from Earl Scruggs And Friends is "Foggy Mountain Breakdown." An istrumental used in the now classic movie Bonnie and Clyde, the collaboration on this album has been nominated for a Grammy in the BEST COUNTRY INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE category. The "friends" who collaborated with Scruggs on this track are Steve Martin, Paul Shaffer, Vince Gill, Randy Scruggs, Gary Scruggs, Marty Stuart, Glen Duncan, Albert Lee, Leon Russell, and Jerry Douglas. The Grammy Awards air on CBS, February 27th.

January 14, 2002. Earl Scruggs' photograph and an autograph is shown on the front of the latest Martha White Corn meal bags titled Legends of American Music. Limited Edition. Check your local grocery store in the baking section. This is a piece of history and the corn meal bags will most likely become collector items.

January 12, 2002. Earl's video of Foggy Mountain Breakdown is listed at # 17 this week in CMT's top twenty video air plays. You may check the daily air time by typing in www.country.com and writing Earl's name in the space at the top of the page. The Top Twenty Countdown will air this Friday at 10 p.m., Saturday at 11 a.m., Sunday at 10 p.m. and Monday at 6 p.m. (All times Eastern/Pacific)

Thanks to all the fans for calling or sending an e-mail to CMT requesting the video. Viewer requests are a part of the consideration in the positioning of CMT's video air play. The video is also listed on the ballot for CMT's daily "Most Wanted Live" show.

January 9, 2002. Earl Scruggs will be appearing on the "All Star Bluegrass Celebration" to be videotaped at The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, on January 16, 2002, for broadcast on the Public Broadcasting Service ("PBS"). The program will air in March 2002. A number of other artists are scheduled to perform on the special. Earl's two sons, Gary and Randy Scruggs, will be appearing with him along with Jerry Douglas, Glen Duncan, John Jorgenson and Harry Stinson. Earl and Gary are looking forward to Travis Tritt joining them in a performance on the song "True Love Never Dies," a track from Earl's latest album "Earl Scruggs And Friends."

It was fifty-six years ago that Earl Scruggs made his first appearance on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium. The date was December 8, 1945, when he joined Bill Monroe and The Bluegrass Boys band. It was the addition of Earl's banjo that created the roots and very core of existence of a distinctive sound. However, it was not until the late 1950s that the sound would be coined bluegrass. Earl's distinctive banjo style added a new dimension to a music style that had been known as hillbilly, country or string band music. The style was brought to world wide prominence when Flatt and Scruggs recorded the track for the music theme for The Beverly Hillbillies TV Series. The program was eventually shown in seventy-six countries. Their recorded version of the theme became a No. 1 single. In 1967, Earl's composition of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown," won world wide recognition when it was featured in the "Bonnie and Clyde" movie starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway.

January 8, 2002. This morning's Tennessean reviewed Earl's birthday party. Check the site next week for some photos from the party.

Earl picks and grins with pals for birthday 78
From Tennessean music writer Peter Cooper:

Some of Nashville's greatest musicians gathered Sunday evening at Earl and Louise Scruggs' Oak Hill-area house to celebrate Earl's 78th birthday. Luminaries — including Vince Gill (wearing a Titans jersey with Derrick Mason's No. 85, no less), Ricky Skaggs, The Whites, Marty Stuart, Jeannie Seely, Connie Smith, John Jorgenson, Mac Wiseman, Uncle Josh Graves, Jerry Douglas, Eddie Stubbs, Vassar Clements, Glen Duncan and Cowboy Jack Clement — were there, all arranged in a circle with Earl, and all playing and singing one bluegrass standard after another.

Sons Gary and Randy Scruggs were on hand, as were Gov. Don Sundquist, Kix Brooks, Hobie Hubbard of Sawyer Brown, and a bunch of celebs, Earl pals, family and others.

When folks weren't picking and grinning, they were eating from a fine buffet (yes, there was cornbread stuffing!) and from a sheet cake with Earl's picture on it.

As good as the food was, though, music was the main draw. Earl, who was nominated for a Grammy last week, was in excellent form, and he even put down his banjo long enough to play a few songs on guitar.

The highlight of the evening may have been the a cappella rendition of gospel gem Precious Memories, featuring Earl, Marty, Glen Duncan and Stubbs, a WSM DJ.

January 4, 2002. "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" off of Earl's latest CD "Earl Scruggs and Friends" was nominated today for a Grammy for "Best Country Instrumental Performance." If it wins, the Grammy will be presented to all of the primary artists on the track. The list is a who's who of instrumentalists: Earl Scruggs, Glen Duncan, Randy Scruggs, Steve Martin, Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, Gary Scruggs, Albert Lee, Paul Shaffer, Jerry Douglas, and Leon Russell. The Grammy award show will be held February 27, 2002, in Los Angeles, California.

January 4, 2002. If you missed Earl Scruggs and friends on Late Night with David Letterman in November, tune in this Friday night to see the re-run. Earl appears with almost everyone that participated in the recording including Steve Martin, Paul Shaffer, Glen Duncan, Randy Scruggs, Gary Scruggs, Marty Stuart, Albert Lee, Jerry Douglas, Vince Gill and Harry Stinson. They perform in the last five minutes of the show.

A video of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" from Earl's album "Earl Scruggs And Friends" is now playing on a number of television stations. The artists featured on the track and in the video include Earl, Glen Duncan, Randy Scruggs, Steve Martin, Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, Gary Scruggs, Albert Lee, Paul Shaffer, Jerry Douglas, Leon Russell and Harry Stinson.

Go here and search on Earl Scruggs to find out when it will play on CMT.
Or use the Playlist Search here to find out when it will be on GAC.

Friday, December 14, 2001. Earl will be appearing on CMT's "Most Wanted Live," along with Gary Scruggs, Randy Scruggs and Glen Duncan. They will be performing a "Jingle Bells" as part of the show's "12 Days of Christmas." The program is televised live from 5:00 to 6:00 PM Central time in the new Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee. There is limited seating for the telecast. Ticket information is available from Regina Moore at 615-831-0338.

Following his appearance on "Most Wanted Live," Earl will be autographing copies of his new CD "Earl Scruggs and Friends" in the gift shop at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Sunday, December 2, 2001. Faye Dunaway personally invited Earl to appear in a movie she is currently filming titled "Colored Eggs." Earl and Randy Scruggs appeared in a climatic scene in the film featuring Faye and fellow actor Tom Skerritt. In 1967, Faye had a starring role in the movie Bonnie and Clyde along with Warren Beatty, who personally requested Earl's famous "Foggy Mountain Breakdown," for use as the theme music in the film. Earl and Randy performed a music piece in the movie, "Colored Eggs." An exciting element is that it is in a scene with Faye and brings Earl's music full circle.

Wednesday, November 28, 2001. Earl and Randy Scruggs are scheduled to appear on the John Boy and Billy's Big Show syndicated radio program. The program is heard from 6:00 to 10:00AM Eastern time Monday through Friday and on a number or classic rock radio stations.

Monday, November 12th. Earl participated in an all-star benefit for Josh Graves at the Gibson Bluegrass Showcase in Nashville, TN. The show was put on by Jerry Douglas and featured Earl Scruggs, Blue Highway, The Whites, and Alison Krauss and Union Station
See the photo gallery on Gibson's web site.

October 24, 2001. There is a feature article on Earl's new album, "Earl Scruggs And Friends," in The Tennessean, written by Peter Cooper. Go here to read the article.

Earl Scruggs to join the Freedom Concert.

Country Music Hall of Fame member Earl Scruggs, Diamond Rio and Montgomery Gentry have been added to Sunday's (Oct. 21) Country Freedom Concert, bringing the total of confirmed live acts to 16. Due to the large number of acts, Earl is scheduled to perform one number.

As the list of performers has grown, so has the length of the telecast. CMT will air the commercial-free concert from 8-11 p.m. ET. The benefit for the Salvation Army Disaster Relief Fund originally was slated for two hours. For those interested in attending the event in person, additional $50 tickets have been made available (through Ticketmaster) for the floor and lower bowl of Nashville's Gaylord Entertainment Center. Westwood One will provide the concert's radio feed to stations worldwide. More than 700 radio stations are on board to simulcast the special, including stations in Scotland, Greece and England.

Earl will be appearing in a segment of the AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC program scheduled to air on PBS television beginning October 29, 2001 for four consecutive Mondays at 10:00 p.m. Eastern time. (Check your local listings for time in your area ). Earl is featured in the opening theme music that was recorded at Ricky Skaggs' studio last summer. This theme is featured at the beginning of every episode and also closes the fourth episode on November 19th. The sequence about Earl is featured in Episode Two, which will air November 5th.

In addition, Earl is featured on the accompanying AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC albums. The theme music is on both the 4-CD box set and the separate "highlights" disc. The 4-CD box set also features Flatt and Scruggs performing "Salty Dog Blues" and Earl performing "Earl's Breakdown." The "highlights" CD was released October 16th and the box set, home video and DVD will be released October 30th.

The program honors and traces the unique history of the pioneers of America's Music forms including blues, gospel, country, bluegrass, Cajun, folk and zydeco. The website will launch on October 29th and is located at www.pbs.org/americanrootsmusic.

Sidenote: When Earl went into the studio to record the theme music, he was surprised and happy to see fellow musician, James Cotton, who also played on the theme. It was almost thirty three years ago on Sunday, December 29, 1968 that Earl was on the same concert bill with James Cotton at the Miami Pop Festival in Miami, Florida along with a host of other pop artists.