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Keith McCord Reporting One of the music industry's legends was in town this week-- bluegrass banjo picker Earl Scruggs! He developed the three-finger picking style that transformed the bluegrass sound. Now in his 80's, he's still at it.
He started playing the banjo when he was four-years old. He's now 82, and musicians of every age and genre love to play along with him.
Earl Scruggs: "It was just born in me. What talent I have was not created at all, it was just given to me. So I just try to make the best of it."
He still does 10 or 15 concert appearances each year; and last night he performed at the Salt Lake Arts Council's Twilight Concert Series. During the afternoon rehearsal, fans were already showing up. Scruggs says he still gets pumped up when he's on stage.
Earl Scruggs: "I feel good, and my fingers, thank goodness, are just as flexible as when i was 21-years old."
Earl Scruggs' career really took of in the late 40's, when he teamed up with guitarist Lester Flatt. The duo recorded 23 albums and won all sorts of awards. They became a household name when the producer of the Beverly Hillbillies TV show needed a theme song. It became number one on the music charts. Flatt and Scruggs also appeared on the show a number of times.
Scruggs said he had no idea back in 1962 how popular that song would be. But today, he still plays it!
Earl Scruggs: "We play that in every show. Yeah, we usually close the show, or toward the end of the show, run a little ol' Jed in there."
Another always-played song is "Foggy Mountain Breakdown", which is his all-time favorite.
Earl Scruggs: "That's about as exciting to play today as it was back in the 40's and 50's."
And still as exciting to listen to as well.
Scruggs has no plans to slow down. He's still recording and still touring. He left Salt Lake today and headed to Colorado for a weekend bluegrass festival.
