Young Ricky Skaggs performs with Flatt & Scruggs

September 16, 2006 11:59 AM

In 1961, on the Martha White Show, seven year-old mandolin prodigy Ricky Skaggs performs two songs with Flatt & Scruggs. "Ruby" and "Foggy Mountain Special". [both songs direct to youtube]
posted by kosem (14 comments total)

NPR with Earl Scruggs.

NPR with Ricky Skaggs.
posted by kosem at 12:03 PM on September 16, 2006

Amazing post. God how I love Ricky Skaggs. Lincoln Center put on a free outdoor show last summer featuring Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder... it was amazing.

Seeing him play that young just confirms my suspicion that Ricky Skaggs is three-fifths Jesus.
posted by saladin at 12:47 PM on September 16, 2006

Two-years ago I was at the Boston Pops while they were filming for their PBS series 'Evening at the Pops.' The guest performer was Ricky Skaggs -- someone about whom I knew little. He was engaging, delightful and highly entertaining. It was quite an enjoyable night.
posted by ericb at 1:22 PM on September 16, 2006

I was skeptical watching "Ruby" --- that time bar was just exactly over his hands. but "Foggy Mountain Special" was a treat, and that kid can play. I can't imagine what a lifetime of experience and practice has brought to a talent so young. I've been staring at the poster for the new Ricky Skaggs album for a month now, maybe I'll check it out.

thanks!
posted by carsonb at 1:39 PM on September 16, 2006

Growing up in the south, I was a diehard country fan through the late seventies and early eighties. My tastes changed to punk/industrial around the time puberty hit, but for the last few years I have been finding alot of respect and admiration in my heart for that good music I listened to before what passes for country today became profitable. Seeing this truly reaffirms my love for some o' the old stuff.

Plus...seven years old?

**looks down at hands, curling into fists... starts crying
posted by dozo at 2:19 PM on September 16, 2006

Skaggs is really amazing, and so are the mostly-younger players in Kentucky Thunder. I saw him last year at one of the casinos in CT. It was an amazing free show, although he had an awful cold and was letting the other guys do most of the vocal work.
posted by rollbiz at 3:34 PM on September 16, 2006

On the CD Three Pickers, Ricky talks about that appearance on TV with Flatt and Scruggs back when he was 7. He said "I had a lot of bills to pay"...when he was 7...funny.
posted by wsg at 3:52 PM on September 16, 2006

Awesome.
posted by bardic at 4:13 PM on September 16, 2006

BOTW!!! Whoo hooo!

Ya know, I heered that the boy could play but was put off by his lawng hayer. Well, dammit, I guess the boy is actually country music royalty after all!

This was good, thanks!
posted by snsranch at 5:20 PM on September 16, 2006

Fantastic! Thanks for the post. I love modal numbers like "Ruby": Dock Boggs, Roscoe Holcomb and others recorded cousins of that tune. Great how Skaggs held that last syllable:

"Rubyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy"

And Flatt & Scruggs, they were great of course, and had the best name for a music duo ever.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:54 PM on September 16, 2006

Too bad they didn't hook up as a trio act, if only for a little while, then we could've had Flatt & Scruggs & Skaggs.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:55 PM on September 16, 2006

Thanks. I come back to the internet after spending 45 minutes practicing my rolls and this is what catches my eye. Reminds me of why I don't like to ski: every time I think I'm finally getting it, I fall flat on my face, only to have some 7 year-old come skiing up to me like Bodie Miller and ask if I need any help.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 7:39 PM on September 16, 2006

Thanks for that link, Civil_Disobedient. Til now I thought rolls were just for us drummer types.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:59 PM on September 16, 2006

That'd be Martha White's self-rising flour with hot-rise plus.
posted by Pressed Rat at 3:42 PM on September 17, 2006