Earl Scruggs Festival is back!
Independence Day has come and gone. Before you drag out your pumpkins, let’s get excited about Labor Day.
Before last year’s inaugural festival, we normally went from fireworks and flags straight to ghosts and graveyards (a year-long fascination).
In 2022, we were introduced to the Earl Scruggs Music Festival. Country music is on our playlist, but we never gave any thought to bluegrass. Now, thanks to the festival, we are huge fans of banjos and dobros! We can honestly say we’ve been looking forward to the September weekend since driving off the grounds last year.
A little bit of history:
Born on a forty acre cotton farm in 1924, Scruggs became an American icon and music legend. His four older siblings played guitar and banjo and mother played the organ. His father died when he was only four, but not before introducing Earl to the banjo. Brother Horace and neighbor Dennis Butler became Earl’s earliest jamming partners. By age fifteen, Scruggs was playing professionally on the radio. Before focusing solely on a music career, Scruggs worked in Lily Mills in Shelby, NC to support his mom and sister.
In December of 1945, he joined Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys. Lester Flatt was a member of that group. In 1948, Flatt and Scruggs left Bill Monroe and formed the Foggy Mountain Boys. This band negotiated recording contracts with Mercury and Columbia and was added to the Grand Ole Opry roster in 1955.
The Foggy Mountain Boys‘ manager, Louise Scruggs, was the first female manager in music history. Scruggs’ wife was a brilliant public relations manager who understood the importance of branding. She never called his music bluegrass, but built the band as country.
Earl and Louise had three sons, all who performed with their father. In 1969 Earl and Lester parted ways. Scruggs and sons, Gary and Randy, toured as the Earl Scruggs Revue. They became popular on college campuses, helping to merge country and bluegrass sounds.
Everyone is familiar with at least two classic hits from Earl Scruggs. Popular sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies‘ theme song was a Flatt & Scruggs hit. The duo even appeared in the show. We’ll wait while you look up the episode on YouTube…
One of the most recognizable bluegrass songs of all time was from the 1967 film, Bonnie & Clyde – Flatt & Scruggs Foggy Mountain Breakdown. Now you can’t say you’ve never heard of Earl Scruggs.
In addition to winning four Grammys, Earl Scruggs is a member of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, and even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That’s a lot of fame for one man! What an important figure in the birth of bluegrass. No no, what an important figure in the birth of country music.
Surely this Earl Scruggs bio has aroused a strong desire to experience a total bluegrass extravaganza! The Tryon International Equestrian Center will host the ES Music Festival September 1-3. Located in Mill Springs, NC, this sixteen hundred acre resort sits at the foot of the Bluer Ridge Mountains. Three stages filled with music over three full days. You’ll find fun for the whole family. A children’s area to entertain the young (and young-at-heart) is surrounded by vendors for all addicted to weekend shopping. The endless variety of food choices is sure to please the pickiest eaters. Spontaneous jam sessions are likely to erupt at spots throughout the venue.
The moral of this story? Throw on your coolest clothes (seriously, it’ll be hot), most comfortable shoes and be a part of “Bringing the Music Home!”
Click here for all the detailed information as well as the artist line up.