The Chetboard

Banjo legend Earl Scruggs passed away today.

Earl Scruggs obituary...

http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/obi ... 53841194/1

David

It was always such a treat to watch the FMB work a single mic. It was ballet to take the solos without running into each other

So sad but not unexpected. The legendary LP of the Flatt and Scruggs show at Carnegie Hall 1962 was rereleased as a CD a few years ago with the show in its entirety, including two numbers by Merle Travis. Great stuff.

He was a great thumb picker as well....a really great man...

A true pioneer and legend! Thank you for sharing your art with the world....his work has influenced us all.

Dow D.

Is it a fair thing to say he had a similar affect on the banjo world that Chet did with the guitar? Both highly respected, pioneers in their instrument, original, long distinguished career, etc.

Curt, my son, and I got to see Mr. Scruggs one last time in little Carmel (IN) at our Palladium auditorium just last year. He was amazing, as always. A little slower but his sidemen/family were sooo kind in respectful support. With his book and Pete Seeger's, Curt and I became better. Like Chet, Earl shared his love of the instrument. Wouldn't it be great now if another icon, Doc Watson, should make a CAAS appearance.

George Edgar

Steve Moran wrote:Is it a fair thing to say he had a similar affect on the banjo world that Chet did with the guitar? .

Close, but I think Earl had a greater impact.

It is reasonably arguable to say Chet's affect on the Gretsch company was spectacualr but Earl Scruggs banjo style completely transformed the banjo industry particularly Gibson's. I think I heard that the first really fine instrument Earl bought for himself was a certain Gibson Mastertone he found in a pawnshop. Later I think the legend goes he and Ralph Stanley, who also owned a Mastertone, met at some event and played on each other's banjos and ended up happily exchanging them permanently.

In any case, thanks to Earl, Gibson was back in the banjo business.

___None of those dumb banjo jokes applied to Earl. He was one of those people that people should stand when he entered the room.

Chet's legacy was his music and his guitars also. We owe Paul for the 6122-59 and CGP. Without him we wouldn't have those. Chet's greater impact was the effect he had on musical production. A genius in so many ways...

Two giants but two men you cannot really compare to each other. We will never see their like again...

Here's something to think about...

Chet, in his biographies, mentions spending a lot of time working on rolls as a youngster. Sometimes using a primitve slide... a knife handle or something. In his DVD 'The Guitar of Chet Atkins' he says on at least one occasion "...it's just a banjo roll" and credits 'banjo rolls' in some of the teaching articles he made (with John Knowle 's help).

Jerry Douglas, in a very touching eulogy to Earl mentions "...the uncanny use of the reversed roll at the perfect time to mangle the brains of those that were trying to imitate him..."

Ahhh...yesssss... the reverse roll. Beautiful when executed but extremely difficult to master. Not saying Earl created it but most certainly his use of it gave guitar players something to think about...