Flatt and Scruggs

From New World Encyclopedia
m
 
(42 intermediate revisions by 4 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 +
{{Images OK}}{{submitted}}{{approved}}{{Copyedited}}
 
{{epname|Flatt and Scruggs}}
 
{{epname|Flatt and Scruggs}}
−
[[Image:Flatt-and-Scruggs-plaque.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Flatt and Scruggs]]
+
[[Image:Flatt-and-Scruggs-plaque.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Flatt and Scruggs]]
−
'''[[Lester Flatt]], [[Earl Scruggs]], and the Foggy Mountain Boys''' were an influential [[bluegrass music|bluegrass]] band performing and recording in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Flatt and Scruggs met as members of [[Bill Monroe]]'s band, the [[Blue Grass Boys]] in 1946, leaving that band early in 1948, and soon forming their own group, the '''Foggy Mountain Boys'''.
+
'''[[Lester Flatt]], [[Earl Scruggs]], and the Foggy Mountain Boys''' were an influential [[bluegrass music|bluegrass]] band performing and recording from 1948 through 1969.
  
−
Scruggs' pioneering three-finger [[banjo]] picking style and Flatt's crooning bluegrass vocals gave the group a distinctive sound that won them many fans. In 1955 they became members of the [[Grand Ole Opry]] and were a popular touring and recording act. In the 1960s they brought the bluegrass sound to a wide national audience "The Ballad of Jed Clampett," the theme song to the hit television comedy
+
After leaving [[Bill Monroe]]'s Blue Grass Boys to form their own band, Scruggs' pioneering three-finger [[banjo]] picking style and Flatt's crooning bluegrass vocals gave the group a distinctive sound that won them many fans. They soon became a popular touring, recording, and broadcast act, although they were not invited to join [[radio]] station WSM's famous [[Grand Ole Opry]] until 1955. In the 1960s, Scruggs' banjo playing won additional fans in the growing [[folk music]] market and the band brought the bluegrass sound to a wide national audience with "The Ballad of Jed Clampett," the theme song to the hit [[television]] [[comedy]] ''The Beverly Hillbillies.''
−
''The Beverly Hilbillies.'' This led to their playing large northern venues like Carnegie Hall and international tours, as well as increased record sales.
+
{{toc}}
 +
After experimenting with a more commercial sound, the group broke up in 1969. Flatt founded the more traditionally oriented [[Nashville Grass]] while Scruggs led the more experimental [[Earl Scruggs Revue]]. Flatt died in 1979, while Scruggs still performs occasionally. Flatt and Scruggs were elected to the [[Country Music Hall of Fame]] in 1985.
  
−
Later, Scruggs, who had always shown [[progressive bluegrass|progressive]] tendencies, experimented on instrumental duets with saxophonist [[King Curtis]] and added songs by the likes of [[Bob Dylan]] to the group's repertoire. Flatt, who was more of a [[traditional bluegrass|traditionalist]], did not like these changes, and the group broke up in 1969. Following the breakup, Lester Flatt founded the [[Nashville Grass]] and Scruggs lead the [[Earl Scruggs Revue]].  Flatt died in 1979, while Scruggs still performs occasionally as health permits.  Flatt and Scruggs were elected to the [[Country Music Hall of Fame]] in 1985.
 
−
In 2003, they ranked number 24 on [[CMT]]'s ''40 Greatest Men In Country Music,'' one of only four non-solo artists to make the list ([[The Eagles]], [[Alabama (band)|Alabama]], and [[Brooks & Dunn]] are the others.).
 
 
==History==
 
==History==
−
[[Bill Monroe]]'s 1945-1948 bluegrass band—featuring Monroe on [[mandolin]] and tenor vocals, [[Earl Scruggs]] on banjo,  [[Lester Flatt]] on guitar and lead/baritone vocals, and the blues-influenced country fiddling stylings of Chubby Wise, —created the definitive sound and instrumental configuration of bluegrass music. Scruggs's revolutionary, lightening-speed three-finger picking style was a huge attraction, while Flatt's baritone blended well with Monroe's "high, lonesome" tenor voice.
+
[[Bill Monroe]]'s 1945-1948 bluegrass band—featuring Monroe on [[mandolin]] and tenor vocals, [[Earl Scruggs]] on [[banjo]],  [[Lester Flatt]] on guitar and vocals, and [[Chubby Wise]] on fiddle—created the definitive sound and instrumental configuration of bluegrass music. Scruggs's revolutionary, three-finger picking style was a huge attraction, while Flatt's smooth vocals blended perfectly with Monroe's intense tenor.
  
−
Flatt and Scruggs had little trouble finding audiences once they broke with Monroe and formed their own group in 1948, taking the name "Foggy Mountain Boys" from a popular [[Carter Family]] song, “Foggy Mountain Top.”  
+
'''Flatt and Scruggs''' thus had little trouble finding audiences once they broke with Monroe and formed their own group in 1948, taking the name "Foggy Mountain Boys" from a popular [[Carter Family]] song, “Foggy Mountain Top.”  
  
−
The band began playing on radio stations WDVA in Danville, Virginia, and WHKY, Hickory, North Carolina. After adding the talented Mac Wiseman as a vocalist the landed a job with the powerful WCYB in Bristol. In April, 1948, Scruggs married Louise Certain, a bookkeeper who later became the group's business manager. By the fall of the same year, the group had begun recording for Mercury Records, a relationship which lasted three years and produced some of their best recordings, including “My Cabin in Caroline” “Cora is Gone,” and “I’m Going to Make Heaven My Home.” Art Wooten and Benny Sims were the groups fiddle players during this period, with Sims featured on such songs as “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” “Old Salty Dog Blues,” “Doin’ My Time,” and “Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms.”
+
===Recording for Mercury and Columbia===
 +
By the fall of the same year, the group had become a popular radio act and started recording for [[Mercury Records]], a relationship which lasted three years and produced some of their best recordings, including their signature instrumental, “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” and vocals such as “My Cabin in Caroline” and “Cora is Gone.” Art Wooten and Benny Sims were the group's [[fiddle]] players during this period, with Sims featured on such popular songs as “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” “Old Salty Dog Blues,” “Doin’ My Time,” and “Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms.”
  
−
In March 1949, the group moved its radio base to WROL in Knoxville. Bass player Howard Watts ("Cedric Rainwater") left the band in late 1949 to join Hank Williams' band, the Drifting Cowboys. He was replaced by Charles Johnson, who was billed as “Little Jody Rainwater.”   
+
In March 1949, Flatt and Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys moved to station WROL in [[Knoxville]]. [[double bass|Bass]] player and [[clown]] Howard Watts ("Cedric Rainwater") left the band in late 1949 to join [[Hank Williams]]' band, and was replaced by Charles Johnson, who was billed as “Little Jody Rainwater.”   
  
−
[[Image:Earl Scruggs 2005.JPG|thumb|Earl Scruggs 2005]]  
+
In November 1950, Flatt and Scruggs made their first [[Columbia records|Columbia]] recordings. Benny Sims was replaced by [[Chubby Wise]] as fiddler, while Everett Lilly played [[mandolin]], replacing Curly Seckler. In June 1951, the group recorded “Jimmy Brown, the Newsboy” for Columbia, featuring Scruggs on [[guitar]] instead of [[banjo]]. During this period they made several changes of radio stations.
  
−
In November 1950, Flatt and Scruggs made their first Columbia  recordings. Around this time, Benny Sims  was replaced by [[Chubby Wise]], Bill Monroe's former fiddler, while Everett Lilly played mandolinm replacing Curly Seckler. In June 1951, the group recorded “Jimmy Brown, the Newsboy” for Columbia, featuring Scruggs on guitar instead of banjo. During this period they made several changes of radio stations. In 1954 Seckler re-joined on mandolin and the [[Benny Martin]] became the group's fiddler adding his virtuoso solos to match Scruggs' still unequaled banjo accomplishments. Martin's fiddle may be heard on several Columbia cuts from this time, notably “Dear Old Dixie,” “Why Did You Wander,”   “If I Should Wander Back Tonight,” and “Flint Hill Special.” The latter also featured Scruggs’ recently invented D-tuners on both middle strings.
+
In 1954 Seckler re-joined on mandolin and [[Benny Martin]] won acclaim as the Foggy Mountain Boys' fiddler, adding his virtuoso solos to complement Scruggs' still unequaled banjo playing. Martin's fiddle may be heard on many Columbia cuts from this time, notably “Dear Old Dixie,” “Why Did You Wander,” “If I Should Wander Back Tonight,” and “Flint Hill Special.” The latter also featured Scruggs’ recently invented D-tuners enabling him to bend individual strings to create a popular instrumental effect.
  
−
In June 1953, the Martha White flour company began to sponsor Flatt and Scruggs on daily, morning radio broadcast for the powerful WSM. Later, the Pet Milk Company became a co-sponsor and the group was featured on some 40 television stations, while also appearing in Nashville, Chattanooga and Jackson, Tennessee. Flatt and Scruggs were not the biggest name in bluegrass.
+
===Broadcast success===
 +
[[Image:Rymanauditorium1.jpg|thumb|left|Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, where Flatt and Scruggs were finally welcomed to WSM's [[Grand Ole Opry]] in 1955]]
 +
In June 1953, the Martha White flour company had begun to sponsor Flatt and Scruggs on daily morning radio broadcast for the powerful radio station [[WSM]] in [[Nashville]]. Later, the Pet Milk Company became a co-sponsor, and the group was featured on some 40 television stations, while also appearing at live concerts in Nashville, [[Chattanooga]] and [[Jackson]], Tennessee. Flatt and Scruggs were now the biggest name in bluegrass. In September 1954, the group appeared with Old Dominion Barn Dance on the Broadway show “Hayride,” at the 48th Street Theater in New York for two weeks. Paul Warren replaced Benny Martin as fiddler.
  
−
In September 1954, group appeared with Old Dominion Barn Dance on the Broadway show “Hayride,” at the 48th Street Theater in New York for two weeks. Paul Warren replaced Benny Martin as fiddler in 1954, remaining with the group until 1977.
+
Gradually, Flatt and Scruggs brought about changes in the group that gave them a sound more distinct from Monroe's classic band. They temporarily eliminated the mandolin in the mid 1950s, substituting the entertaining "Uncle" Josh Graves on [[dobro]], and adding a second guitarist to sing tenor [[harmony|harmonies]]. They also began to emphasize Flatt's baritone capabilities, instead of pitching him as a lead tenor, as had been the case when he sang with [[Bill Monroe]].  
  
−
Gradually, Flatt and Scruggs brought about changes in the group's instrumentation that gave them a sound more distinct from Monroe's band. They temporarily eliminated the mandolin in the mid 1950s, substituting "Uncle" Josh Graves on [[dobro]]. They also began to emphasize Flatt's baritone capability, instead of pitching him as a tenor as had been the case when he sang with Monroe.  
+
Up to this point, WSM would not allow Flatt and Scruggs to join its flagship [[Grand Ole Opry]] radio show, possibly out of loyalty to Monroe, who was believed to resent Flatt and Scruggs' success. Pressure from Martha White executives and the public demand finally caused WSM to relent in January 1955.
  
−
Up to this point, WSM would not allow  Flatt and Scruggs to join its flagship [[Grand Ole Opry]], possibly out of loyalty to Bill Monroe. Pressure from public demand and Martha White cause them to relent in January 1955.
+
===Reaching a wider audience===
 +
In October 1957, Columbia released the group's first LP, ''Foggy Mountain Jamboree.'' Scruggs’ appearance at the first [[Newport Folk Festival]] July 1959 as a guest artist with the Hylo Brown bluegrass band produced a major impact on the emerging folk music scene as the ''New York Times'' praised him as the “[[Paganini]] of the five-string [[banjo]]." The next year, Flatt and Scruggs and Foggy Mountain Boys played the festival themselves and also appeared on a live [[CBS]] network television show, “The Revlon Revue: Folk Sound, USA.” In April 1960, the group recorded with drums for the first time, a move that Flatt resisted.
  
 +
Flatt and Scruggs began playing the university folk music circuit in 1961. On December 8, 1962, the group appeared at [[Carnegie Hall]], and Columbia soon released a live album of their performance there.
  
−
==Members==
+
On the strength of the success of ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' television show, Flatt and Scruggs' version of “The Ballad of Jed Clampett” reached number one on the country charts, the only bluegrass recording ever to do so, although purists complained that it was really a [[Hollywood]]-written television theme song. (The television vocal track was not performed by Flatt, but by studio musician Jerry Scoggins, with the band's backing.) The song was nominated for a [[Grammy Award]]. Flatt and Scruggs also made several personal appearances on the TV show itself, playing old friends of the Clampett family. After Flatt and Scruggs performed their original song “Pearl, Pearl, Pearl,” on the show, this record reached number eight on the country charts in 1963. The band also recorded the theme for the “Petticoat Junction” television series.
−
*[[Lester Flatt]] ([[guitar]])
+
 
−
*[[Earl Scruggs]] ([[banjo]], [[lead guitar]])
+
===Later years===
−
*Paul Warren ([[fiddle]])
+
[[Image:Earl Scruggs 2005.JPG|thumb|right|150px|Earl Scruggs performing at The [[Bonnaroo]] Music & Arts Festival on June 12, 2005]]
−
*John Ray "Curly" Seckler ([[mandolin]])
+
Influenced by Columbia executives, the group's style began to lean toward the slick “Nashville sound” as exemplified in the ''Nashville Airplane'' and ''Changin’ Times'' albums. The group added [[Charlie McCoy]] on harmonica in 1963, as well as other studio musicians, also using drums more frequently. Soon, actor [[Warren Beatty]] asked Scruggs to create the theme for his new movie, “Bonnie and Clyde.” Scruggs obliged with “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” which was not a new song, but a perennial concert favorite recorded first for Mercury. The tune won the Foggy Mountain Boys a Grammy.
−
*[[Josh Graves|Burkett "Uncle Josh" Graves]] ([[Dobro]], [[upright bass|bass]])
+
 
−
*English P. “Cousin Jake” Tullock ([[upright bass|bass]])
+
After the success of “Bonnie and Clyde,” Columbia pressured the group to further alter its sound with additional Nashville studio musicians and song material by the likes of [[Bob Dylan]]. The band's commercial success, however, placed a strain on the relationship between the traditionally minded Flatt and the more experimentally oriented Scruggs. They played their last stage concert together in February 1969 and recorded their final sessions for Columbia in August of that year.
−
*Robert "Chubby" Wise ([[fiddle]])
+
 
−
*Jim Shumate ([[fiddle]])
+
Lester Flatt formed the Nashville Grass, playing a traditional form of bluegrass, while Scruggs created the more experimental Earl Scruggs Revue with his son Randy and other young musicians. Flatt passed away in 1979, while Scruggs, at this writing, still occasionally performs, despite a noticeable diminishing of his formidable instrumental skills.
−
*[[Benny Martin]] ([[fiddle]])
+
 
−
*Benny Sims ([[fiddle]])
+
==Legacy==
−
*[[Howdy Forrester]] ([[fiddle]])
+
Flatt and Scruggs' greatest legacy is the influence of Scruggs' banjo playing on future [[bluegrass]] banjo players, from more traditional players such as [[J.D. Crowe]] to innovators like [[Bill Keith]] and experimental musicians such as [[Bela Fleck]]. Thousands of young bluegrass [[banjo]]ists today graduate from beginners to [[yeomen]] by mastering Scruggs' solos note for note on songs like "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" and "Flint Hill Special."
−
*Art Wooten ([[fiddle]])
+
 
−
*Howard Watts aka "Cedric Rainwater" ([[upright bass|bass]])
+
Beyond that, Flatt and Scruggs left a large corpus of excellent recordings, featuring not only Scruggs' banjo playing but Flatt's pleasant vocals, amazing fiddle solos by [[Benny Martin]] and others, and great [[dobro]] playing by [[Josh Graves]]. Despite criticism for their later commercialism, some consider Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys to have been the greatest band in [[bluegrass]] history.
−
*Charles Johnson aka "Little Jody Rainwater" ([[upright bass|bass]])
+
 
−
*[[Hylo Brown|Frank "Hylo" Brown]] ([[upright bass|bass]], [[guitar]])
+
Flatt and Scruggs are ranked number 24 on [[CMT]]'s ''40 Greatest Men In Country Music,'' created in 2003, one of only four non-solo artists to make the list. [[Bill Monroe]], however, ranks number 16.
−
* Charles “Little Darlin’” Elza ([[upright bass|bass]], comedy)
+
 
−
*Joe Stuart ([[upright bass|bass]])
+
==Discography (albums)==
−
*[[Everette Lilly]] ([[mandolin]])
 
−
*Curly Lambert ([[mandolin]])
 
−
*[[Jim Eanes]] ([[guitar]])
 
−
*[[Mac Wiseman]] ([[guitar]])
 
−
*Billy E. Powers ([[guitar]])
 
−
*Johnny Johnson ([[guitar]])
 
−
*Earl Taylor ([[mandolin and harmonica]])
 
−
[[Image:Flatt&ScruggsLP2.jpg|right|thumb|The cover of the first Foggy Mountain Boys album.]]
 
−
==Notable songs==
 
−
*[[Foggy Mountain Breakdown]] - an instrumental originally released in 1949 and used in many [[rural]] car chase [[film|movie]] sequences, notably in ''[[Bonnie and Clyde (film)|Bonnie and Clyde]]''. It has won two [[Grammy awards]]. Parts of the song can be heard in the ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'' "Killer Sheep" sketch in the episode entitled "The Attila The Hun Show."
 
−
*"[[The Ballad of Jed Clampett]]" ([[Media:Ballad of Jed Clampett.ogg|listen]]) - used as the theme for the ''[[Beverly Hillbillies]]'' [[television series]]. The song reached #42 on the record charts during the series' debut season of 1962. It was #1 on the country charts in January 1963, their only one of their career, and one of only two TV theme songs to ever do that on the country charts ([[Waylon Jennings]]' "The Good Ol' Boys" (theme from ''[[The Dukes of Hazzard]]'' in the late 1970s was the other.).
 
−
*[[Martha White]] jingle (still used in advertising today).
 
−
==Discography==
 
 
*[[Foggy Mountain Jamboree]] ([[Columbia Records|Columbia]], 1957)
 
*[[Foggy Mountain Jamboree]] ([[Columbia Records|Columbia]], 1957)
 
*[[Country Music (album)|Country Music]] ([[Mercury Records|Mercury]], 1958)
 
*[[Country Music (album)|Country Music]] ([[Mercury Records|Mercury]], 1958)
Line 93: Line 85:
 
*Flatt and Scruggs (Columbia, 1970)
 
*Flatt and Scruggs (Columbia, 1970)
 
*Breaking Out (Columbia, 1970)
 
*Breaking Out (Columbia, 1970)
−
{{credit|98767994}}
+
 
−
[[Image:Earl Scruggs 2005.JPG|thumb|right|Earl Scruggs performing at The [[Bonnaroo]] Music & Arts Festival on June 12th, 2005]]
+
==See also==
−
'''Earl Eugene Scruggs''' (b. January 6 1924, [[Shelby, North Carolina]]) is a musician noted for creating a [[banjo]] style (now called [[Scruggs style]]) that is a defining characteristic of [[Bluegrass music|bluegrass music]]. 
+
*[[Bluegrass music]]
−
Scruggs joined [[Bill Monroe]]'s Blue Grass Boys in late 1945 and his syncopated, three-finger picking style quickly became a sensation.  In 1948 Scruggs and guitarist [[Lester Flatt]] left Monroe's band and formed [[Flatt and Scruggs]].  In 1969, Flatt and Scruggs broke up and Scruggs started a new band, the Earl Scruggs Revue, featuring several of his sons.
+
*[[Bill Monroe]]
−
Flatt and Scruggs won a [[Grammy Award]] in [[Grammy Awards of 1969|1969]] for Scruggs' instrumental "[[Foggy Mountain Breakdown]]". Scruggs was an inaugural inductee into the [[International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor]] in 1991.  
+
*[[Country music]]
−
In 2002 Scruggs won a second [[Grammy]] award for the 2001 recording of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown", which featured artists such as [[Steve Martin]] on 2nd [[banjo]] solo (Martin played the banjo tune on his 1970s stand-up comic acts), [[Vince Gill]] and [[Albert Lee]] on electric guitar solos, [[Paul Shaffer]] on piano, [[Leon Russell]] on organ, and [[Marty Stuart]] on mandolin. The album, ''Earl Scruggs and Friends'', also featured artists such as [[Elton John]], [[Sting]], [[Johnny Cash]], [[Don Henley]], [[Travis Tritt]], and [[Billy Bob Thornton]]. ''Earl Scruggs and Friends'' (MCA Nashville, 2001).  
+
*[[Banjo]]
−
On February 13, 2003, Scruggs received a star on the  [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]].
+
 
−
On September 13, 2006, Scruggs was honored at Turner Field in Atlanta as part of the pre-game show for an [[Atlanta Braves]] home game. Organizers set a world record (239) for the most banjo players playing one song together (Scruggs' ''Foggy Mountain Breakdown).
+
==References==
−
Scruggs' wife and manager Louise Scruggs died on February 2, 2006 at the age of 78 at [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville, TN's]] Baptist Hospital following a lengthy illness. [http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1523089/20060202/scruggs_earl.jhtml?headlines=true]
+
* Fleischhauer, Carl, and Neil V. Rosenberg. ''Bluegrass Odyssey: A Documentary in Pictures and Words, 1966-86''. Music in American life. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2001. ISBN 9780252026157
−
==Discography==
+
* Goldsmith, Thomas. ''The Bluegrass Reader, (Music in American life)''. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2004. ISBN 9780252029141
−
* Where Lillies Bloom
+
* Price, Steven D. ''Old As the Hills: The Story of Bluegrass Music''. New York: Viking Press, 1975. ISBN 9780670522040
−
* Nashville Rock
+
* Rosenberg, Neil V. ''Bluegrass: A History, (Music in American life)''. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1985. ISBN 9780252002656
−
* Foggy Mountain Jamboree (Sony, 1957)
+
* Scruggs, Earl. ''Earl Scruggs and the 5-String Banjo''. New York: Peer International Corp, 1968. OCLC 5549892
−
* Changin' Times (1969)
+
* Seymour, Chris.'' Bluegrass, (The life, times & music series)''. New York: Friedman/Fairfax Publishers, 1996. ISBN 9781567993554
−
* Nashville Airplane (1970)
+
 
−
* I Saw the Light with Some Help from My Friends (Sony, 1972)
 
−
* Earl Scruggs: His Family and Friends (1972)
 
−
* Live at Kansas State (1972)
 
−
* Rockin' 'Cross the Country (1973)
 
−
* Dueling Banjos (CBS, 1973)
 
−
* The Earl Scruggs Revue (1973)
 
−
* Anniversary Special (1975)
 
−
* The Earl Scruggs Revue 2 (1976)
 
−
* Family Portrait (1976)
 
−
* Live from Austin City Limits (1977)
 
−
* Strike Anywhere (1977)
 
−
* Bold & New (1978)
 
−
* Today & Forever (1979)
 
−
* The Story Teller & the Banjo Man (CBS, 1982)
 
−
* Flatt & Scruggs (1982)
 
−
* Top of the World (1983)
 
−
* Superjammin' (1984)
 
−
* Artist's Choice: The Best Tracks (1970-1980) (Edsel - (UK), 1998)
 
−
* Earl Scruggs and Friends (MCA Nashville, 2001) 
 
−
* Classic Bluegrass Live: 1959-1966 (Vanguard, 2002)
 
−
* Three Pickers (Rounder Records, 2003)
 
−
* The Essential Earl Scruggs (Legacy Recordings, 2004)
 
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
−
* [http://www.earlscruggs.com/ Official Website]
+
All links retrieved April 1, 2024.
−
* [http://www.countrymusichalloffame.com/inductees/flatt_scruggs.html at the Country Music Hall of Fame]
+
 
−
* [http://www.mca-nashville.com/earlscruggs/welcome.html on MCA Nashville]
+
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yiqpk4aX828 Video of Flatt and Scruggs playing "Randy Lynn Rag"]
−
* [http://www.rounder.com/index.php?id=album.php&catalog_id=6478 on Rounder Records]
+
* [http://www.earlscruggs.com/ Official Website] ''www.earlscruggs.com''
−
{{credit|110459014}}
+
 
−
'''Lester Raymond Flatt''' (June 19, 1914 - May 11, 1979) was one of the pioneers of [[bluegrass music]]. A singer and guitarist, he first came to prominence as a member of [[Bill Monroe]]'s Blue Grass Boys in the 1940s.  In 1948 he started a band with fellow Monroe alumnus [[Earl Scruggs]], and for the next twenty years Flatt and Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys were one of the most successful bands in bluegrass. When they parted ways in 1969, Flatt formed a new group, the [[Nashville Grass]], hiring most of the [[Foggy Mountain Boys]].  His role as lead singer and rhythm guitar player in each of these seminal ensembles helped define the sound of traditional bluegrass music.  He created a role in the Bluegrass Boys later filled by the likes of [[Jimmy Martin]], [[Mac Wiseman]], [[Peter Rowan]] and [[Del McCoury]].  His rich lead voice is unmistakable in hundreds of bluegrass standards.  He is also always remembered for his library of compositions.  The Flatt songbook looms titanic for any student of American acoustic music. He continued to record and perform with that group until his death in 1979. Flatt was posthumously made an inaugural inductee into the [[International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor]] in 1991.  His hometown of Sparta, Tennessee held a bluegrass festival in his honor for a number of years, before being discontinued a few years prior to the death of the traditional host, resident Everette Paul England.
 
−
{{singer-guitarist-stub}}
 
−
{{US-musician-stub}}
 
  
−
{{credit|110453145}}
 
  
−
[[Category:American musical groups]]
+
[[Category:music]]
−
[[Category:Bluegrass groups]]
+
[[Category:History of the United States]]
−
[[Category:Country music groups]]
+
[[Category:musicians|Scruggs, Earl]]
−
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
+
[[Category:musicians|Flatt, Lester]]
−
[[Category:Art, music, literature, sports and leisure]]
+
{{credit|110459014}}
−
[[Category:History]]
 
−
[[Category:1924 births|Scruggs, Earl]]
 
−
[[Category:Living people|Scruggs, Earl]]
 
−
[[Category:Bluegrass musicians|Scruggs, Earl]]
 
−
[[Category:American banjoists|Scruggs, Earl]]
 
−
[[Category:International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor|Scruggs, Earl]]
 
−
[[Category:National Heritage Fellowship winners|Scruggs, Earl]]
 
−
[[Category:United States National Medal of Arts recipients|Scruggs, Earl]]
 
−
[[Category:Hollywood Walk of Fame|Scruggs, Earl]]
 
−
[[Category:People from North Carolina|Scruggs, Earl]]
 
−
[[Category:Former Grand Ole Opry members|Scruggs, Earl]]
 
−
[[Category:1914 births|Flatt, Lester]]
 
−
[[Category:1979 deaths|Flatt, Lester]]
 
−
[[Category:American blues singer-guitarists|Flatt, Lester]]
 
−
[[Category:People from Tennessee|Flatt, Lester]]
 
−
[[Category:Grand Ole Opry members|Flatt, Lester]]
 
−
[[Category:Music]]
 

Latest revision as of 06:13, 1 April 2024

Flatt and Scruggs

Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, and the Foggy Mountain Boys were an influential bluegrass band performing and recording from 1948 through 1969.

After leaving Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys to form their own band, Scruggs' pioneering three-finger banjo picking style and Flatt's crooning bluegrass vocals gave the group a distinctive sound that won them many fans. They soon became a popular touring, recording, and broadcast act, although they were not invited to join radio station WSM's famous Grand Ole Opry until 1955. In the 1960s, Scruggs' banjo playing won additional fans in the growing folk music market and the band brought the bluegrass sound to a wide national audience with "The Ballad of Jed Clampett," the theme song to the hit television comedy The Beverly Hillbillies.

After experimenting with a more commercial sound, the group broke up in 1969. Flatt founded the more traditionally oriented Nashville Grass while Scruggs led the more experimental Earl Scruggs Revue. Flatt died in 1979, while Scruggs still performs occasionally. Flatt and Scruggs were elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1985.

History

Bill Monroe's 1945-1948 bluegrass band—featuring Monroe on mandolin and tenor vocals, Earl Scruggs on banjo, Lester Flatt on guitar and vocals, and Chubby Wise on fiddle—created the definitive sound and instrumental configuration of bluegrass music. Scruggs's revolutionary, three-finger picking style was a huge attraction, while Flatt's smooth vocals blended perfectly with Monroe's intense tenor.

Flatt and Scruggs thus had little trouble finding audiences once they broke with Monroe and formed their own group in 1948, taking the name "Foggy Mountain Boys" from a popular Carter Family song, “Foggy Mountain Top.”

Recording for Mercury and Columbia

By the fall of the same year, the group had become a popular radio act and started recording for Mercury Records, a relationship which lasted three years and produced some of their best recordings, including their signature instrumental, “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” and vocals such as “My Cabin in Caroline” and “Cora is Gone.” Art Wooten and Benny Sims were the group's fiddle players during this period, with Sims featured on such popular songs as “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” “Old Salty Dog Blues,” “Doin’ My Time,” and “Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms.”

In March 1949, Flatt and Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys moved to station WROL in Knoxville. Bass player and clown Howard Watts ("Cedric Rainwater") left the band in late 1949 to join Hank Williams' band, and was replaced by Charles Johnson, who was billed as “Little Jody Rainwater.”

In November 1950, Flatt and Scruggs made their first Columbia recordings. Benny Sims was replaced by Chubby Wise as fiddler, while Everett Lilly played mandolin, replacing Curly Seckler. In June 1951, the group recorded “Jimmy Brown, the Newsboy” for Columbia, featuring Scruggs on guitar instead of banjo. During this period they made several changes of radio stations.

In 1954 Seckler re-joined on mandolin and Benny Martin won acclaim as the Foggy Mountain Boys' fiddler, adding his virtuoso solos to complement Scruggs' still unequaled banjo playing. Martin's fiddle may be heard on many Columbia cuts from this time, notably “Dear Old Dixie,” “Why Did You Wander,” “If I Should Wander Back Tonight,” and “Flint Hill Special.” The latter also featured Scruggs’ recently invented D-tuners enabling him to bend individual strings to create a popular instrumental effect.

Broadcast success

Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, where Flatt and Scruggs were finally welcomed to WSM's Grand Ole Opry in 1955

In June 1953, the Martha White flour company had begun to sponsor Flatt and Scruggs on daily morning radio broadcast for the powerful radio station WSM in Nashville. Later, the Pet Milk Company became a co-sponsor, and the group was featured on some 40 television stations, while also appearing at live concerts in Nashville, Chattanooga and Jackson, Tennessee. Flatt and Scruggs were now the biggest name in bluegrass. In September 1954, the group appeared with Old Dominion Barn Dance on the Broadway show “Hayride,” at the 48th Street Theater in New York for two weeks. Paul Warren replaced Benny Martin as fiddler.

Gradually, Flatt and Scruggs brought about changes in the group that gave them a sound more distinct from Monroe's classic band. They temporarily eliminated the mandolin in the mid 1950s, substituting the entertaining "Uncle" Josh Graves on dobro, and adding a second guitarist to sing tenor harmonies. They also began to emphasize Flatt's baritone capabilities, instead of pitching him as a lead tenor, as had been the case when he sang with Bill Monroe.

Up to this point, WSM would not allow Flatt and Scruggs to join its flagship Grand Ole Opry radio show, possibly out of loyalty to Monroe, who was believed to resent Flatt and Scruggs' success. Pressure from Martha White executives and the public demand finally caused WSM to relent in January 1955.

Reaching a wider audience

In October 1957, Columbia released the group's first LP, Foggy Mountain Jamboree. Scruggs’ appearance at the first Newport Folk Festival July 1959 as a guest artist with the Hylo Brown bluegrass band produced a major impact on the emerging folk music scene as the New York Times praised him as the “Paganini of the five-string banjo." The next year, Flatt and Scruggs and Foggy Mountain Boys played the festival themselves and also appeared on a live CBS network television show, “The Revlon Revue: Folk Sound, USA.” In April 1960, the group recorded with drums for the first time, a move that Flatt resisted.

Flatt and Scruggs began playing the university folk music circuit in 1961. On December 8, 1962, the group appeared at Carnegie Hall, and Columbia soon released a live album of their performance there.

On the strength of the success of The Beverly Hillbillies television show, Flatt and Scruggs' version of “The Ballad of Jed Clampett” reached number one on the country charts, the only bluegrass recording ever to do so, although purists complained that it was really a Hollywood-written television theme song. (The television vocal track was not performed by Flatt, but by studio musician Jerry Scoggins, with the band's backing.) The song was nominated for a Grammy Award. Flatt and Scruggs also made several personal appearances on the TV show itself, playing old friends of the Clampett family. After Flatt and Scruggs performed their original song “Pearl, Pearl, Pearl,” on the show, this record reached number eight on the country charts in 1963. The band also recorded the theme for the “Petticoat Junction” television series.

Later years

Earl Scruggs performing at The Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 12, 2005

Influenced by Columbia executives, the group's style began to lean toward the slick “Nashville sound” as exemplified in the Nashville Airplane and Changin’ Times albums. The group added Charlie McCoy on harmonica in 1963, as well as other studio musicians, also using drums more frequently. Soon, actor Warren Beatty asked Scruggs to create the theme for his new movie, “Bonnie and Clyde.” Scruggs obliged with “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” which was not a new song, but a perennial concert favorite recorded first for Mercury. The tune won the Foggy Mountain Boys a Grammy.

After the success of “Bonnie and Clyde,” Columbia pressured the group to further alter its sound with additional Nashville studio musicians and song material by the likes of Bob Dylan. The band's commercial success, however, placed a strain on the relationship between the traditionally minded Flatt and the more experimentally oriented Scruggs. They played their last stage concert together in February 1969 and recorded their final sessions for Columbia in August of that year.

Lester Flatt formed the Nashville Grass, playing a traditional form of bluegrass, while Scruggs created the more experimental Earl Scruggs Revue with his son Randy and other young musicians. Flatt passed away in 1979, while Scruggs, at this writing, still occasionally performs, despite a noticeable diminishing of his formidable instrumental skills.

Legacy

Flatt and Scruggs' greatest legacy is the influence of Scruggs' banjo playing on future bluegrass banjo players, from more traditional players such as J.D. Crowe to innovators like Bill Keith and experimental musicians such as Bela Fleck. Thousands of young bluegrass banjoists today graduate from beginners to yeomen by mastering Scruggs' solos note for note on songs like "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" and "Flint Hill Special."

Beyond that, Flatt and Scruggs left a large corpus of excellent recordings, featuring not only Scruggs' banjo playing but Flatt's pleasant vocals, amazing fiddle solos by Benny Martin and others, and great dobro playing by Josh Graves. Despite criticism for their later commercialism, some consider Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys to have been the greatest band in bluegrass history.

Flatt and Scruggs are ranked number 24 on CMT's 40 Greatest Men In Country Music, created in 2003, one of only four non-solo artists to make the list. Bill Monroe, however, ranks number 16.

Discography (albums)

  • Foggy Mountain Jamboree (Columbia, 1957)
  • Country Music (Mercury, 1958)
  • Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs (Mercury, 1959)
  • Songs of Glory (Columbia, 1960)
  • Flatt and Scruggs with the Foggy Mountain Boys (Harmony, 1960)
  • Foggy Mountain Banjo (Columbia, 1961)
  • Songs of the Famous Carter Family (Columbia, 1961)
  • Folk Songs of Our Land (Columbia, 1962)
  • The Original Sound of Flatt and Scruggs (Mercury, 1963)
  • The Ballad of Jed Clampett (Columbia, 1963)
  • Flatt and Scruggs at Carnegie Hall (Columbia, 1963)
  • Recorded Live at Vanderbilt University (Columbia, 1964)
  • The Fabulous Sound of Flatt and Scruggs (Columbia, 1964)
  • The Versatile Flatt and Scruggs (Columbia, 1965)
  • Great Original Recordings (Harmony, 1965)
  • Stars of the Grand Ol' Opry (Starday, 1966)
  • Town and Country (Columbia, 1966)
  • When the Saints Go Marching In (Columbia, 1966)
  • Flatt and Scruggs' Greatest Hits (Columbia, 1966)
  • Strictly Instrumental (Columbia, 1967)
  • Hear the Whistle Blow (Columbia, 1967)
  • Sacred Songs (Harmony, 1967)
  • Changing Times (Columbia, 1968)
  • The Story of Bonnie and Clyde (Columbia, 1968)
  • Nashville Airplane (Columbia, 1968)
  • Original Theme From Bonnie and Clyde (Mercury, 1968)
  • The Original Foggy Mountain Breakdown (Mercury, 1968)
  • Songs To Cherish (Harmony, 1968)
  • Detroit City (Columbia, 1969)
  • Final Fling (Columbia, 1970)
  • Flatt and Scruggs (Columbia, 1970)
  • Breaking Out (Columbia, 1970)

See also

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Fleischhauer, Carl, and Neil V. Rosenberg. Bluegrass Odyssey: A Documentary in Pictures and Words, 1966-86. Music in American life. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2001. ISBN 9780252026157
  • Goldsmith, Thomas. The Bluegrass Reader, (Music in American life). Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2004. ISBN 9780252029141
  • Price, Steven D. Old As the Hills: The Story of Bluegrass Music. New York: Viking Press, 1975. ISBN 9780670522040
  • Rosenberg, Neil V. Bluegrass: A History, (Music in American life). Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1985. ISBN 9780252002656
  • Scruggs, Earl. Earl Scruggs and the 5-String Banjo. New York: Peer International Corp, 1968. OCLC 5549892
  • Seymour, Chris. Bluegrass, (The life, times & music series). New York: Friedman/Fairfax Publishers, 1996. ISBN 9781567993554

External links

All links retrieved April 1, 2024.

Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.

Retrieved from https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Foggy_Mountain_Boys&oldid=1140745

Content is available under Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of Use for details.
Copyright Logo
Powered by MediaWiki