Last Train To Clarksville

The #1 Hit from 50 years ago, The Monkees' "Last Train To Clarksville". Just for good measure the second video is a Flatt & Scruggs recording of the song.

Who Will Sing for Me

The Three Pickers—Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson and Ricky Skaggs—performing "Who Will Sing for Me".

Lester Flatt

I am doing a second Throwback Thursday, because today would have been Lester Flatt's 100th birthday. To mark the day here are some performances.

Flatt & Scruggs - "Down the Road"



With Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys—"Will You Be Loving Another Man".



One that everybody knows—"The Ballad of Jed Clampett" with a little dance

Kids on the Stage

Ten year old Carson Peters performs "Blue Moon of Kentucky" at the Grand Ole Opry with Ricky Skaggs on mandolin.



Going back a few years, here is a seven year old Ricky Scaggs performing "Ruby" with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs.

Earl Scruggs on the Banjo

Looking back last month when Earl Scruggs died, I realized that he was paying guitar in a lot of the video I have posted of him. So here is a post focused on what he is famous for—his banjo playing.

"Randy Lynne Rag"



"Ground Speed"



A performance from 2006 with Little Roy Lewis.

Earl Scruggs (1924-2012)

To mark the passing of Earl Scruggs earlier today, I am posting below a video of "Earl's Breakdown".

First though, here are links to my six previous posts that have included video of his performances. Oddly, it seems like a lot of these are of Earl playing guitar, instead of banjo. I will have to do a future post of all banjo performances.

Performing "Foggy Mountain Rock" with Josh Graves

Performing "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" with Steve Martin

Performing "I'm On My Way To Canaan Land" with Lester Flatt

Performing "Keep On The Sunny Side" with Charlie Daniels and Mac Wiseman

Playing "Paul and Silas" on the guitar

Performing with Lester Flatt, another version of "I'm On My Way To Canaan Land" and the Carter Family song "Jimmy Brown the Newsboy"

Josh Graves

A couple performances by Josh Graves (1928-2006), the man credited with bringing the resonator guitar—otherwise known as the dobro— into bluegrass music. He was part of the Foggy Mountain Boys who performed with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs.

A instrumental version of the gospel song "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior"



"Foggy Mountain Rock" performed with Earl Scruggs on banjo.



"Fireball" from 1987 with Jesse McReynolds solo on mandolin, Kenny Baker solo on fiddle and Eddie Adcock solo on banjo

Banjos

Some banjo music to start out the week.

Ralph Stanley - "Clinch Mountain Backstep"



Steve Martin, Earl Scruggs, Pete Wernick, Charles Wood and Tony Ellis - "Foggy Mountain Breakdown"



J.D. Crowe - "Flint Hill Special"

I'm On My Way to Canaan's Land

Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs perform "I'm On My Way to Canaan's Land"

The Sunny Side

Considering that the temperature is about to go to 100, this seems to be an appropriate song to post right. The sunny side is about the only side there is these days.

"Keep on the Sunny Side" - Mother Maybelle Carter, and her daughters, Helen and Anita.



Another version by Mac Wiseman, Earl Scruggs and Charlie Daniels.

Paul and Silas

Earl Scruggs usually plays banjo, but here he picks guitar on "Paul and Silas".

Lester Flatt

Earlier this week the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed H. Res. 583 honoring Lester Flatt (1914-1979) for his "invaluable contribution to American art as both a songwriter and a performer, leaving an indelible legacy in bluegrass music." From his work with both Charlie and Bill Monroe, then with Earl Scruggs, and then as Lester Flatt and the Nashville Grass he was a pioneering figure in bluegrass music. So today a couple video os him.

Here is the gospel song, "Canaan's Land", with Earl Scruggs playing the guitar instead of the Banjo.



Here are Flatt & Scruggs performing the Carter Family song, "Jimmy Brown the Newsboy".



Finally, a later video of Lester Flatt performing "Rollin' in my Sweet Baby's Arms".