Friends Are The Family You Choose For Yourself

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Thursday, March 29. 2012

Friends Are The Family You Choose For Yourself

Earl Scruggs died yesterday. Coming from NYC, I was raised on folk music but was ignorant of country music, its variations, and links to folk music until I was in the service. I soon found a new group of friends, as so many millions of others did, when I listened and learned. Earl Scruggs was at the top of my list, and as you can see in this video of he and some of his friends, Earl Scruggs was at the top of everyone who mattered's list. No one can match Scrugg's 3-finger pickin'. RIP, Earl, your music and influence continues.

Posted by Bruce Kesler at 11:33 | Comments (9) | Trackbacks (0)

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My first introduction to Flatt & Scruggs- and for millions of others- was on the Beverly Hillbillies. I don't remember this particular episode. My memories are of Flatt & Scruggs at the Clampett mansion singing "Pearl, Pearl, Pearl, you look just like a girl." But this video obviously came before.

I believe Flatt & Scruggs also did the theme song for the Beverly Hillbillies, but I wasn't aware of that at the time.

Here was a case of mainstream TV enriching my cultural knowledge.

#1 Gringo on 2012-03-29 12:12 (Reply)

the office will hear a mandolin solo of Foggy Mountain Breakdown later today. not necessarily well played, but played nevertheless.

#2 wirraway on 2012-03-29 13:00 (Reply)

--good on ya, mate --

#2.1 buddy larsen on 2012-03-29 15:28 (Reply)

Beverly Hillbillies was genius --and all-American. Take the 'fish out of water' comic device out as far as it can possibly go in a working language commons (always teetering atop chaos when a BH was engaged with a Hollywood Denizen). Watch the respectable establishment dawn on ''hey, they got MONEY!'' --and see America is totally without class --and that's GOOD!

#3 buddy larsen on 2012-03-29 15:40 (Reply)

OK, I recognized Jerry Douglas, Vince Gill, Albert Lee, Steve Martin, Marty Stuart, Randy Scruggs at least, but not sure about the fiddler, bassist, and the two keyboard jockeys.

#4 Ed on 2012-03-29 20:23 (Reply)

Keyboards: Paul Schaffer and Leon Russell

#5 m on 2012-03-29 20:51 (Reply)

I grew up listening to Flatt and Scruggs. Their TV show was sponsored by Martha White Flour. I can still sing the Martha White ditty, and frequently do when my wife bakes a pie or cake. Great Americans.

#6 Archer2010 on 2012-03-29 21:17 (Reply)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUzVUNJKiDc&feature=related

Earl at Doc Watson's place, with various offspring around as sidemen. Part of the only full-length film ever made on his life and times. Shows him playing usually informally with near everybody you could shake a stick at --including Bob Dylan.

#7 buddy larsen on 2012-03-29 23:24 (Reply)

"Friends are the family you choose for yourself."
Never a truer word was spoken as far as I'm concerned. Back thirty or more years ago, when I realized that I wasn't able to bear children, I decided that if I couldn't bear them myself, I could love and appreciate them myself, and I began to collect surrogate children. I now have twelve, and they are the joy of my life. Their parents had done the hard work of raising them, doing a great job at it, and now I have the lovely job of appreciating them. I'm not being very innovative here -- I suppose this is the lemons/lemonade thing. But it works wonderfully and they are the joy of my old age.

Marianne

#8 Marianne Matthews on 2012-03-29 23:48 (Reply)

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Thursday, March 29. 2012

Friends Are The Family You Choose For Yourself