R.I.P. Earl Scruggs

[rick]

From The Washington Post --

www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/bluegrass-musician-earl-scruggs-88-dies/2012/03/28/gIQAcTyqhS_story.html


From The New York Times --

www.nytimes.com/2012/03/29/arts/music/earl-scruggs-bluegrass-banjo-player-dies-at-88.html?_r=1&ref=obituaries&pagewanted=all

[markofkane]

He was very, very good. Shame that such a talent has to end.

[erik]

Yes, I just heard about this. Really a tragedy, and not just in the country music world either. Earl was an innovator in ways that I think can sometimes be taken for granted.

[rick]

Video from tonight's PBS NewsHour

They remember the passings for feminist poet Adrienne Rich and then a longer segment on Earl Scruggs.

The Scruggs' segment begins in the video at Time 2:08.

www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entertainment/jan-june12/scruggs-rich_03-29.html

And from another website, a nice summary of his life, that includes this paragraph

" Released in 1971, the Scruggs documentary featured him jamming with Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Joan Baez and others. "

communityvoices.sites.post-gazette.com/index.php/arts-entertainment-living/get-rhythm/32436-rip-earl-scruggs-banjo-master-1924-2012

[70smusicfan]

I see another LR collaborator passed this week - Earl Scruggs as reported on CBS Sunday Morning. The ES album "I Saw the Light With Some Help from My Friends" has 3 LR appearances, and another on Rockin' Cross the Country. All of the songs are fabulous, as is ES (Arlo Guthrie guests on many other songs for ISTL). Wish I wasn't so snobby in my youth to have enjoyed traditional country musci like ES and Johnny Cash in the 60s-70s.

After listening to a large number of LR guest appearances, it seems that (in addition to her wardrobe during that period of the early-mid 1970s), LR practiced an economy in her song selection. She guested on a number of albums, and then added those songs to her own repertoire after learning the proper inflections and phrasings from the masters and/or original composers/songwriters. The Cash/Carter song Ring of Fire on ISTL is an example song that she must have worked out with ES on.

Don't look forward to 10 years from now when my friends start passing. Must be hard on LR.

[ausfan2]

In the article RIP Earl Scruggs, Banjo Master: 1924-2012 the following quote appears:

“Released in 1971, the Scruggs documentary featured him jamming with Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Joan Baez and others”

Further investigation reveals that the documentary is:

“The National Educational Television channel filmed a documentary titled “Earl Scruggs: His Family and Friends” featuring artists such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, The Byrds and Doc Watson.”

I had a quick perusal of the documentary and did not see any footage featuring Linda Ronstadt. However, I may have missed her scene. If anybody wants to check the documentary can be viewed at:

www.examiner.com/bob-dylan-in-national/earl-scruggs-family-and-friends-video

[rick]

Another Linda Ronstadt mention in a tribute to the late Earl Scruggs --

www.cybergrass.com/node/1184

[the Scribe]

I had the unique opportunity to see Linda and Earl headline at the same concert in 1972 which is where that photo of me and Linda was taken (backstage). Just love his album that included Linda, Tracy and Arlo. It began my love for Bluegrass as did 4 years of living in Kentucky where they breathed that stuff in.