Scruggs Is A Legend

There is only a handful of people that you can name that are solely responsible for popularizing a particular genre of music. Earl Scruggs has done that for bluegrass. Sure, Bill Monroe is the father of bluegrass, but Earl broke the barriers that allowed Bluegrass to be a viable force in the music industry. It is only fitting that Earl Scruggs will headline a bluegrass concert on Thurday night at the Ryman Auditorium. The players along with Earl are not only talented musicians, but are mostly family. These include, Randy Scruggs, Gary Scruggs, Jon Randall, Rob Ickes, John Jorgensen, John Gardner, and Hoot Hester. Scruggs is one of the only remaining artists that is synonymous with the rich history of the Ryman. It all started when Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs broke off from Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys and created their own band. This burned Monroe, so he tried to keep them from being on the Opry, but through the sponsorship of Martha White they became a staple at the Opry. I think it is safe to say that Earl can add the Ryman as one of the places that is responsible for his success.