Flatt and Scruggs
| Company type | Partnership |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1948 |
| Founder | Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs |
| Defunct | 1969 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Bluegrass music |
Flatt and Scruggs was a prominent American bluegrass partnership established in 1948 by vocalist and guitarist Lester Flatt alongside banjo virtuoso Earl Scruggs, both previously part of Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys. Celebrated as one of the most influential duos in bluegrass music, their collaboration lasted until 1969.[1]
Their accompanying ensemble, the Foggy Mountain Boys, included distinguished artists such as fiddler Paul Warren, dobro pioneer Burkett Howard "Uncle Josh" Graves, upright bassist English P. "Cousin Jake" Tullock, and mandolin player John "Curly" Seckler.[1]
History
After departing from Monroe's Bluegrass Boys in early 1948, Flatt and Scruggs swiftly organized the Foggy Mountain Boys. Their unique style merged Flatt’s steady rhythm guitar and vocal delivery with Scruggs’ groundbreaking banjo techniques, garnering a wide audience. By 1955, they had become members of the esteemed Grand Ole Opry.[2]
While Scruggs advocated for innovation through collaborations such as duets with saxophonist King Curtis and performing compositions by artists like Bob Dylan, Flatt preferred to maintain traditional bluegrass roots. This artistic difference ultimately resulted in their separation in 1969.[2] Following the split, Flatt created the Nashville Grass band, whereas Scruggs formed the Earl Scruggs Revue. Flatt passed away in 1979 at age 64; Scruggs died in 2012.[3][4]Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
In 1985, Flatt and Scruggs were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Their legacy was further recognized in 2003 when they were ranked No. 24 on CMT's list of 40 Greatest Men of Country Music, standing alongside only three other groups: Eagles, Alabama, and Brooks & Dunn.
Members
- Lester Flatt (guitar)
- Earl Scruggs (banjo, guitar)
- Paul Warren (fiddle)
- John Ray "Curly" Seckler (mandolin, guitar)
- Josh Graves (Dobro, bass)
- English P. “Cousin Jake” Tullock (bass)
- Chubby Wise (fiddle)
- Jim Shumate (fiddle)
- Benny Martin (fiddle)
- Benny Sims (fiddle)
- Howdy Forrester (fiddle)
- Art Wooten (fiddle)
- Howard Watts aka "Cedric Rainwater" (bass)
- Charles Johnson aka "Little Jody Rainwater" (bass)
- Frank "Hylo" Brown (bass, guitar)
- Charles “Little Darlin’” Elza (bass)
- Joe Stuart (bass)
- Ernie Newton (bass)
- Bob Moore (bass)
- Everett Lilly (mandolin)
- Jim Eanes (guitar)
- Mac Wiseman (guitar)
- Billy E. Powers (guitar)
- Johnny Johnson (guitar)
- Earl Taylor (mandolin and harmonica)
- Grover C. Deskins Jr. (harmonica)
Notable songs
- "Foggy Mountain Breakdown": an instrumental track released in 1949, widely recognized for its inclusion in numerous rural car chase scenes including Bonnie and Clyde. It has earned two Grammy Awards.
- "The Ballad of Jed Clampett": served as the theme for the Beverly Hillbillies television show; it peaked at No. 42 on general record charts in 1962 and reached No. 1 on country charts in January 1963, marking their sole chart-topping single. It is one of only five TV themes to achieve this feat on country charts.
- The Martha White jingle: continues to be utilized in advertising campaigns.
- "Petticoat Junction": theme song from the television series of the same name.
Albums
Singles
| Year | Album | Chart Rankings | Record Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | |||
| 1957 | Foggy Mountain Jamboree | Columbia | ||
| 1958 | Country Music | Mercury | ||
| 1959 | Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs | |||
| 1960 | Songs of Glory | Columbia | ||
| 1961 | Foggy Mountain Banjo | |||
| Songs of the Famous Carter Family | ||||
| 1962 | Folk Songs of Our Land | |||
| 1963 | Hard Travelin' (The Ballad of Jed Clampett) | 115 | ||
| The Original Sound | Mercury | |||
| Flatt and Scruggs at Carnegie Hall | 7 | 134 | Columbia | |
| 1964 | Recorded Live at Vanderbilt University | 10 | ||
| The Fabulous Sound of Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs | 2 | |||
| 1965 | The Versatile Flatt & Scruggs | |||
| Great Original Recordings | ||||
| 1966 | Town and Country | 15 | ||
| | | - | ||||
| align="center"| 34 | | - | ||||
| | | - | 1967 | Strictly Instrumental (with Doc Watson) | | | | |||
| Year | Single Title | Highest Chart Positions | Associated Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | CAN Country | CAN | |||
| 1949 | "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" | 9 | ||||
| 1952 | "‘Tis Sweet to Be Remembered" | 9 | ||||
| 1959 | "Cabin in the Hills" | 9 | ||||
| 1960 | "Crying My Heart Out Over You" | 21 | ||||
| 1961 | "Polka on a Banjo" | 12 | ||||
| "Go Home" | 10 | |||||
| 1962 | "Just Ain't" | 16 | ||||
| "The Legend of the Johnson Boys" | 27 | 'Folk Songs of Our Land' | ||||
| "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" | 'align=center' 44 | | 'Hard Travelin' (The Ballad of Jed Clampett)' | ||||
| '1963' |"Pearl Pearl Pearl" |'align=center' 8 |'align=center' 113 | | — | |||||
| 'align=center' 26 | | ||||||
| '1964' |"You Are My Flower" |'align=center' 12 | | 'Recorded Live at Vanderbilt University' | |||||
| 'align=center' 40
| ||||||
"Petticoat Junction"
align=center 14
| ||||||
"Workin' It Out"
align=center 21
| ||||||
| '1965' | "I Still Miss Someone" | 'align=center'43
|
'The Versatile Flatt & Scruggs' | |||
| '1967' | "Nashville Cats" | 'align=center'54
|
— | |||
| "California Up Tight Band" | 'align=center'20
| |||||
| '1968' | "Down in the Flood" | 'align=center'45
|
'align=center'15 | 'rowspan=2 ' 'Changing Times featuring Foggy Mountain Breakdown' | ||
| "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" | 'align=center'58 | 'align=center'55
"Like a Rolling Stone"
'align=center'58
'align=center'125
'
'
'Nashville Airplane'
| ||||
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedbrowne - ↑ Rockwell, John (May 12, 1979). "Lester Flatt, Singer and Guitarist in Duo With Earl Scruggs, Dies". The New York Times. p. 26.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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