Legendary Bluegrass musician Earl Scruggs died Wednesday morning at a Nashville, Tennessee hospital. His son Gary told CNN his 88-year-old father passed away of natural causes.
Scruggs, known for his three finger banjo playing style, got his start performing at small events in the early 40s. He joined the Blue Grass Boys in 1945 and helped produce hits like Blue Grass Breakdown. Scruggs left the Blue Grass Boys along with guitarist Lester Flatt in 1948. The pair formed a new band called the Foggy Mountain Boys. In 1962, Scruggs and Flatt recorded The Ballad of Jed Clampett with Jerry Scoggins. Although the song made for the TV show The Beverly Hillbillies, it became a country music hit. The Ballad of Jed Clampett wasn’t the only Foggy Mountain Boys song to make it to Hollywood; Foggy Mountain Breakdown was featured in the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde. The Foggy Mountain Boys split in 1969 and Scruggs formed the Earl Scruggs Revue with three of his sons.
In addition to Gary, Scruggs is survived by son Randy.
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