Earl Eugene Scruggs was an American musician noted for popularizing a three-finger banjo picking style, now called "Scruggs style", which is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music. His three-finger style of playing was radically different from the traditional way the five-string banjo had previously been played. This new style of playing became popular and elevated the banjo from its previous role as a background rhythm instrument to featured solo status. He popularized the instrument across several genres of music.
John Marty Stuart is an American country and bluegrass music singer, songwriter, and musician. Active since 1968, Stuart initially toured with Lester Flatt, and then in Johnny Cash's road band before beginning work as a solo artist in the early 1980s. His greatest commercial success came in the first half of the 1990s on MCA Records Nashville. Stuart has recorded over 20 studio albums, and has charted over 30 times on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. His highest chart entry is "The Whiskey Ain't Workin'", a duet with Travis Tritt. Stuart has also won five Grammy Awards out of 16 nominations. He is known for his combination of rockabilly, country rock, and bluegrass music influences, his frequent collaborations and cover songs, and his distinctive stage dress. Stuart is also a member of the Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame.
"Foggy Mountain Breakdown" is a bluegrass instrumental, in the common "breakdown" format, written by Earl Scruggs and first recorded on December 11, 1949 by the bluegrass artists Flatt & Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys. It is a standard in the bluegrass repertoire. The 1949 recording features Scruggs playing a five-string banjo.
High Country Snows is the ninth album by American singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg, released in 1985. This album was a seminal part of Progressive Bluegrass, or "Newgrass", and featured many bluegrass star players.
Flatt and Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys were an American bluegrass band. The band was founded by guitarist Lester Flatt and banjo player Earl Scruggs and is viewed by music historians as one of the premier bluegrass groups in the history of the genre. The band was originally formed in 1948 by Flatt, who had been a member of Bill Monroe's bluegrass band. Flatt brought Scruggs with him shortly after leaving Monroe.
Gerald Calvin "Jerry" Douglas is an American Dobro and lap steel guitar player and record producer.
Union Station is an American bluegrass and country band associated with singer Alison Krauss. The act established in 1987 as a backup band for Krauss is usually referred to as Alison Krauss and Union Station and was initially composed of Krauss, Jeff White, Mike Harman and John Pennell. Later additions included Tim Stafford, Ron Block, Adam Steffey, Barry Bales and Larry Atamanuik. In 1992, Stafford was replaced by guitar and mandolin player Dan Tyminski and in 1998, Steffey left and was replaced by dobro player Jerry Douglas.
Rickie Lee Skaggs, known professionally as Ricky Skaggs, is an American neotraditional country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, mandocaster, and banjo.
The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo is a 2009 album by Steve Martin, featuring Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Earl Scruggs, Tim O'Brien, Tony Trischka and Mary Black. It contains 15 songs and is the first album focusing on Martin as a musician. Martin's 1977 comedy recording Let's Get Small, however, did feature him briefly playing the banjo during some of the comedy bits, and The Steve Martin Brothers devotes one side to banjo playing, including earlier renditions of some of the music presented here. It was first released on January 27, 2009, as an Amazon.com exclusive and then released to retail stores everywhere on May 19, 2009. On January 31, 2010, the album won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album at the 52nd Grammy Awards.
Larry Christopher Sharp is an American musician, guitarist, singer, and record producer who participated in the Grammy Award-winning soundtrack of O Brother, Where Art Thou. He is considered to be an accomplished guitarist and has taken a special interest in advancing Lester Flatt's guitar style. Among other accomplishments, Chris has been nominated twice for a Grammy Award as a guitarist and producer and has won once. Bob Piekiel's seminal banjo instruction book describes Chris as "the cream of the crop." Willie Nelson also considers Chris to be among "the finest bluegrass guitar players in existence today.
Bluegrass Album, Vol. 2 is an follow-up album by bluegrass supergroup, Bluegrass Album Band, released in 1982. As all the members already had their own duties in their groups, they originally intended to release only one album and disband. However, they continued with this volume plus four more and set the standards of the bluegrass music on a very high level.
Bluegrass Album, Vol. 3 — California Connection is a third album by bluegrass supergroup, Bluegrass Album Band, released in 1983. Dobroist Jerry Douglas is added to the line-up and the band includes some more country-rock to the mix, but the most part of the album consists of classics by Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs.
Bluegrass Album, Vol. 5 - —Sweet Sunny South is a fifth album by bluegrass supergroup, Bluegrass Album Band, released in 1989. Violinist Vassar Clements is on this album replacing Bobby Hicks, and bass duties are taken over by Mark Schatz (instead of Todd Philips, who otherwise plays on all Bluegrass Album Band albums.
John Ray Sechler, known as Curly Seckler, was an American bluegrass musician. He played with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs in their band the Foggy Mountain Boys from 1949 to 1962, among other major bluegrass acts during his lengthy career in music.
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 2014.
The International Bluegrass Music Awards is an award show for bluegrass music presented by the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA). Awards are voted based on professional membership in the IBMA.
The Fabulous Sound of Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs is a studio album by bluegrass artists Flatt and Scruggs. It was released in 1964 by Columbia Records.
Flatt and Scruggs at Carnegie Hall! is a live album by bluegrass artists Flatt and Scruggs. It was recorded on December 8, 1962, at the first bluegrass concert ever performed at Carnegie Hall. It was released in 1963 by Columbia Records.
Folk Songs of Our Land is a studio album by bluegrass artists Flatt and Scruggs. It was released in 1962 by Columbia Records, catalog numbers CL 1830 (mono) and CS 8630 (stereo).
Songs of the Famous Carter Family is a studio album by bluegrass artists Flatt and Scruggs featuring Mother Maybelle Carter and the Foggy Mountain Boys. It was released in 1961 by Columbia Records, catalog numbers CL 1664 (mono) and CS 8464 (stereo).
