An enormously influential musician, North Carolina native Earl Scruggs essentially rescued the five-string banjo from its fate as a country comedian's instrument, moving it into the realm of virtuosity by his work with Bill Monroe's Blue...

Earl Eugene Scruggs (born January 6, 1924) is a musician noted for creating a banjo style (now called Scruggs style) that is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music. Scruggs was born in Shelby, North Carolina to Georgia Lula Ruppe and George Elam...

Earl Scruggs and the late Lester Flatt are now members of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.Flatt & Scruggs teamed as a bluegrass act in the 1940s. They recorded the theme song to "The Beverly Hillbillies" TV show in 1962, and their instrumental "Foggy Mountain...

Today is Saturday, Jan. 6, the sixth day of 2007. There are 359 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On Jan. 6, 1412, according to tradition, Joan of Arc was born in Domremy.On this date:In 1540, England's King Henry VIII married his fourth wife,...

The Grascals won entertainer of the year for the second year in a row, while newcomers The Infamous Stringdusters tied for most awards with three during the International Bluegrass Music Awards.The Grascals (the name is a takeoff on the old "Little Rascals" comedy troupe) formed...

Today is Sunday, Jan. 6, the sixth day of 2008. There are 360 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On Jan. 6, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in his State of the Union address, outlined a goal of "Four Freedoms" for the world: Freedom...