From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Sun Jan 6, 2002  2:22 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Earl Scruggs
earlscruggs

EARL SCRUGGS

Born Earl Eugene Scruggs, 6 January 1924, Flintville, Cleveland
County, South Carolina

Banjo player / singer.
With his partner Lester Flatt (1914-1979), Scruggs formed the
legendary bluegrass duo Flatt and Scruggs from 1948 to 1969.
Flatt and Scruggs joined Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys in 1944
and 1945 respectively. Before that, Scruggs had been in the Carolina
Wildcats and the Morris Brothers, and had broadcast on WSM-Nashville.
The duo left Monroe in 1948 and formed their own Foggy Mountain Boys,
which included Mac Wiseman. In 1951 they signed with Columbia and
would stay with that label for the rest of their days together. Between
1952 and 1967 they had 15 entries in Billboard's country chart, including
a number one, "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" (1962), the theme from the
TV series "The Beverly Hillbillies" (also # 44 pop). Their only other pop
hit was "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" (# 55, 1968), the theme from the
movie "Bonnie and Clyde". They had their own radio show on WSM from
1953 and later their own TV show.
Flatt, who played guitar and mandolin, was the more purist of the two
and when Scruggs's music moved away from pure bluegrass, they split
in 1969. Flatt remained a bluegrass stalwart with his new group Nashville
Grass, Scruggs formed the Earl Scruggs Revue with his multi-instrumentalist
sons Randy, Steve and Gary.
Flatt and Scruggs became the second bluegrass act to be elected to the
Country Music Hall of Fame, in 1985. Their recordings as a duo have been
collected in three boxed sets on Bear Family.