Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Would any of us be here without Earl?

#15

Would any of us be here without Earl Scruggs?

I can only speak for myself here (although it’s very possible that Ben’s site- “here”- would be affected in some way if Earl Scruggs never played banjo), but for myself, I’m going to say no. My playing is strongly influenced not only by Earl himself but also those who play very similarly to him (Jim Mills, J.D. Crowe, Russ Carson, Joe Dean, etc.), and although we would probably have people who played 3-finger style banjo, people like those mentioned above might not have taken an interest in the banjo if it weren’t for the particular sound that Earl pulled out of that Granada. Jim Mills said the thing that got him hooked was the particular sound of Scruggs’ original recording of Foggy Mountain Breakdown. Same thing with Russ Carson, who is quoted as saying:

“My Dad was fanatical about recording stuff on VHS, and one of those tapes was Earl Scruggs playing at the Ryman. Ricky (Skaggs) introduces him, and he comes out and plays ‘Foggy Mountain Breakdown.’ I was absolutely obsessed with that. My mother came down about 3 in the morning to find me about four inches from our TV screen, just hitting rewind and rewind, you know. I had to do that. And now I find myself in Ricky’s band playing that stage, almost on a regular basis. I still can’t believe that.”

I’ve seen that performance on YouTube, and before Earl comes out and plays, Ricky Skaggs plays some mellow clawhammer banjo for the audience and says, “That is how banjos would be played today… if it weren’t for Mr. Earl Scruggs.”

6 Likes
#16

Not sure where your heading with this Will. I have said what I wanted to say on this topic and I see no need to justify it further.

3 Likes
#17

In this reply, you have said it all. Thanks!

3 Likes
#18

Very interesting discussion so far!
I do want to just clarify that I asked multiple questions in the post, and the one in the poll is not the exact question as is on the thread title. Sorry for being confusing :joy:

5 Likes
#19

You hit the nail right on the head. Perfect explanation Michael Mark. I agree with you 100%.

6 Likes
#20

Wow… Fascinating results! :face_with_monocle:

I’d enjoy to see where @BanjoBen, @MissMaggie, @Jake, @AdamAsh (The Hypeman), @Fiddle_wood, and many others of the “regulars” would weigh-in on the poll and topic!

3 Likes
#21

Interesting topic for sure!

My first CD was a Flatt & Scruggs CD that my parents got me when we got our first CD player. The first song was the original 1949 version of “Foggy Mtn. Breakdown”. I was probably around 10-12 years old, or so. That’s when I really started getting seriously interested in bluegrass and banjo specifically, although I had grown up watching Hee Haw and listening to bluegrass and had some interest before that. It was a little while longer before I started learning much banjo (I was into guitar at the time).

Earl is pretty much my all-time favorite, and I admire his banjo backup during vocals or other instrumental breaks probably more than anybody’s. However, I will have to agree with a lot of what some others have said. He was not the first person to play a 3-fingered style. I don’t know how much I would have gotten interested in banjo had it not been for Earl, though. Basically all of my favorite banjo players first became interested in banjo listening to Earl (Doug Dillard, Jim Mills, JD Crowe, etc.).

7 Likes
#22

@AdamAsh,

Insightful comments. Did you register your vote to the poll question above?

3 Likes
#23

@WillCoop

I just did. I went with the “inevitable” response as I think that’s probably closest to how I see it as far as a 3-finger style existing eventually. However, I can’t help but think about things that we might have missed out on, or how many great banjo players might not have taken the interest if they hadn’t heard Earl at the right place and at the right time. Those banjo players are some of the ones that many of those of us interested in banjo today may have been exposed to first.

7 Likes
#24

@AdamAsh,

Thanks for posting your poll response! I hope others will continue to take the poll and comment too. I am still thankful to @Dragonslayer for posing the question to contemplate.
.
I see your points… but for me… as I tried to explain in my response… is that Earl was critical… not that there were or were not other 3-finger pickers. There certainly was from what was shared.

To me, the question was whether we, as a community would all be enjoying our community as banjo fans if Earl had not been - well, the original Earl.

In my view, it was about so much more… but the future emergence of Bluegrass as centered around his playing in those years was sooo influential.

We will never know for sure if the emergence would have progressed exactly the same without Earl. What we can all agree, Earl was a strong catalyst to influence its’ popularity, his style and the far reaching affect of his playing… even to crossing over into TV pop culture with his Beverly Hillbillies theme song.

That said, now looking at it… The question was would any of us be here. Individually, I oppose my own response is that undoubtedly, some of us would surely be here - without Earl.

I interpreted “any of us” as… All of us - collectively.

Or… stated differently, would Bluegrass Banjo be as popular today if not for Earl. Probably, I misunderstood…?

I still feel strongly that many of us would not have been here… as Banjo fans if it wasn’t for the sheer brilliancy of Uncle Earl. Where it really shines through to me was the way he was so humble but the deep admiration and respect from artists of HIS time, let alone all of us who followed afterwards.

Long may Earl’s music and style live! :banjo:

5 Likes
#25

A Sound of Thunder.…

6 Likes
#26

@Fiddle_wood,

Will you be voting on the poll Dave?

4 Likes
#27

I do think it was inevitable that someone would develope a three-finger style for the banjo, but speaking for myself personally, I most definitely would not be a banjo player if it were not for Earl’s influence, via The Beverly Hillbillies of course. :wink: I will say this though, in my opinion, Earl was and ever will be the only one who can play “Earl style”. For that, if nothing else, he will always be remembered.

5 Likes
#28

I think I did with my comment…haven’t read Ray Bradbury?

I was referencing the Butterfly Effect…

3 Likes
#29

It did show up! Thx

3 Likes
#30

@WillCoop

I think we’re trying to say the same thing, basically. A lot of what you’re saying is what I was getting at here:

Blockquote

5 Likes
#31

I think so @AdamAsh! That said, I voted that these results - for me - would NOT have eventually happened WITHOUT Earl… rather than being inevitable.

Still, I respect your (everyone’s) opinion on both sides of the topic!

6 Likes
#32

That’s a question that is more for the sake of debate than a precise answer I do believe. As no one player is the same as another. Similarities can be concluded, as to the question of if , when or whom it is one that can’t be answered with any certainty. The history of the subject has passed and along with it the outcomes that might ( or might not) have come to pass. (To many variables ) would something be or not be the way it is or that way with or without one particular group or individual ? What we do know is things change, morph and can become so different from it’s original form that it has become something completely different and unrecognizable from the original . But that’s not to say it’s not the same thing in it’s root. So I submit THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG ?

2 Likes
#33

To quote Aslan, “it is not for you to know what could have been, only what is”

4 Likes
#34

AH! But without the past we tend not to grow , not to dwell on the past but to take what’s been done and build on it. I think I might have brought a knife to a gun fight! You bringin out that fancy quote stuff is impressive . I ain’t that smart just old. I do agree with you and for the record I voted inevitable to your question.:sunglasses::beers:

2 Likes