Overview

As Earl Scruggs picked his banjo with machine gun precision at his 1945 debut at the Ryman Auditorium, he set in motion a successful career and enduring legacy that would eclipse anything the humble farm boy from North Carolina could have imagined. Scruggs’s revolutionary three-finger roll patterns electrified audiences and transformed the banjo into a mainstream solo instrument pursued by innumerable musicians. In Earl Scruggs: Banjo Icon, Gordon Castelnero and David L. Russell chronicle the life and legacy of the man who single-handedly reinvigorated the five-string banjo and left an indelible mark on bluegrass and folk music. After his tenure with the father of bluegrass music, Bill Monroe, Scruggs formed (with Lester Flatt) the Foggy Mountain Boys, also known as Flatt and Scruggs; the Earl Scruggs Revue with his sons; and finally his Family & Friends band. Scruggs released more than forty albums and reached millions of fans through performances on The Beverly Hillbillies and his music’s inclusion in the 1967 movie Bonnie and Clyde. Over his long career, Scruggs received numerous accolades and collaborated with stars such as Billy Joel, Elton John, Sting, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Vince Gill, Travis Tritt, the Byrds, and Steve Martin. Through interwoven interviews with the Scruggs family and more than sixty notable musicians and entertainers, Castelnero and Russell reveal that, despite the fame Scruggs achieved, he never lost his humility and integrity. This biography testifies to Scruggs’s enduring influence and sheds light on the history of bluegrass for musicians, students, and anyone entranced by Scruggs’s unmistakable sound.

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9781442268654

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Earl Scruggs: Banjo Icon gives the most comprehensive and complete history of a man who changed the world of music forever. Earl was an innovator, perfectionist, risk taker and a global inspiration to countless musicians... A must-read for any music fan! -- Travis Tritt, singer and songwriter Earl Scruggs was a leader whose unassuming nature meant he was always excited to meet a new fan, even though he was a music legend. This book gives us essential insights into Earl's life. His life's work will influence and inspire forever, as rare few have over the years. Earl made it a better world, and he's the reason I have a life in music. Without him there would not have been a Will the Circle Be Unbroken record. -- John McEuen, a founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Earl Scruggs: Banjo Icon gives the most comprehensive and complete history of a man who changed the world of music forever. Earl was an innovator, perfectionist, risk taker and a global inspiration to countless musicians. This book chronicles Earl's historic rise to fame and the numerous contributions he made to multiple genres of music. A must read for any music fan! -- Travis Tritt, Singer, Songwriter Earl Scruggs was a leader determined to perfect his art who demanded nothing of his countless followers, yet unassuming as to his music legend role, always excited to meet a new fan. This book gives us all the wanted insight into Earl's life. His life's work will influence and inspire forever, as rare few have over the years. Earl made it a better world, and is the reason I have a life in music. -- John McEuen, Founding Member of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Author Information

Gordon Castelnero is a freelance documentary writer/producer and author. His local productions have been recognized by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences—Michigan Chapter with an Emmy Award and several nominations. David L. Russell is a writer, musician, and banjo teacher, and has toured with a number of bluegrass bands in Michigan and Georgia. He has an MA in philosophy from the University of Detroit (Mercy) and a PhD in history and religion from Michigan State University.

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