Earl Scruggs

Earl Scruggs feels useful again (Sep 2001)

Few musical innovators match the contributions of Earl Scruggs. Most obvious among his gifts, the three-fingered style of banjo picking that debuted in 1945 with Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys. Since then, Scruggs proves troubling for many bluegrass fans. On one hand, from 1948 through 1969, the cadre of classics produced with Lester Flatt typically produces gushes from acolytes. On the other, Scruggs' open acceptance of folk and so-called progressive bluegrass angered the purists. His early 1970's country-rock band, the Earl Scruggs Revue, left many a fan scratching their heads.  ...