Ricky Skaggs

Ricky Skaggs (born July 18 1954 in Lawrence County, Kentucky) is a country and bluegrass musician, singer and composer. Skaggs' first major professional break came in 1970 when he joined Ralph Stanley's legendary bluegrass band, the Clinch Mountain Boys. He plays mandolin, fiddle, guitar, banjo, and several wind instruments. For part of his career, Skaggs was a member of Emmylou Harris's "Hot Band". He wrote the arrangements for Harris' highly revered bluegrass-roots album, Roses in the Snow. In addition to arranging, Skaggs also sang harmony and played a number of instruments on the album, including mandolin and fiddle. In 2000, he shared the stage with legendary rock band Phish, displaying the versatility of his musicianship.

Skaggs moved to Nashville in 1980, where he produced his debut album, Waitin' For The Sun To Shine. The album produced four chart singles, including two back-to-back number one country hits. Building on that success, he went on to almost singlehandedly rescue country music from the doldrums it had found itself in the 1970s. He joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1982 - at that time the youngest member to be included. He racked up an impressive 18 Top Ten singles with 12 topping the charts. Skaggs picked up dozens of industry awards in the ensuing years, including four Grammy Awards, and eight awards from the Country Music Association.

His dedication to the traditional bluegrass style has endeared him to many fans. "I always want to try to promote the old music as well as trying to grow and be a pioneer, too," Skaggs once commented. Because of this approach to his music, Skaggs has been considered by many to be the founding father of Neotraditional Country.

On June 16, 2006, a tour bus carrying Ricky Skaggs to perform at Bonnaroo struck and killed a man wearing a Bonnaroo wristband who jumped onto Interstate 24.^* The man is rumored to have been under the influence of a hallucinogen such as LSD.

Discography

Second Generation Bluegrass (with Keith Whitley) 1971
That's It 1975
Sweet Temptation 1979
Skaggs & Rice (with Tony Rice) 1980
Waitin' For The Sun To Shine 1981
Highway & Heartaches 1982
Family & Friends 1982
Don't Cheat In Our Hometown 1983
Country Boy 1984
Favorite Country Songs 1985
Live In London 1985
Love's Gonna Get Ya! 1986
Comin' Home To Stay 1988
Kentucky Thunder 1989
My Father's Son 1991
Ricky Skaggs Portrait 1992
Super Hits 1993
Solid Ground 1995
Life Is A Journey 1997
Bluegrass Rules (with Kentucky Thunder) 1997
Ancient Tones (with Kentucky Thunder) 1999
Soldier of The Cross (with Kentucky Thunder) 1999
History of the Future (with Kentucky Thunder) 2001
Bluegrass Rules! 2001
Weapon of Prayer (with Kentucky Thunder) 2001
Live at the Charleston Music Hall (with Kentucky Thunder) 2003
The Three Pickers (with Doc Watson and Earl Scruggs) 2003
BRAND NEW STRINGS (with Kentucky Thunder) 2004
Hunting Dog Blues (with Ole Smucker) 2005

Awards

Grammy awards

1983 Best Country Instrumental Performance: New South (J.D. Crowe, Jerry Douglas, Todd Phillips, Tony Rice, Ricky Skaggs) for Fireball
1984 Best Country Instrumental Performance: Ricky Skaggs for Wheel Hoss
1986 Best Country Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist): Ricky Skaggs for Riaisin' The Dickins
1991 Best Country Vocal Collaboration: Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner & Vince Gill for Restless
1998 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs And Kentucky Thunder for Bluegrass Rules!
1998 Best Country Collaboration With Vocals: Clint Black, Joe Diffie, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Patty Loveless, Earl Scruggs, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, Pam Tillis, Randy Travis, Travis Tritt & Dwight Yoakam for Same Old Train
1999 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs And Kentucky Thunder for Ancient Tones
2000 Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album: Ricky Skaggs And Kentucky Thunder for Soldier Of The Cross
2003 Best Country Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocal: Ricky Skaggs And Kentucky Thunder for A Simple Life
2004 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs And Kentucky Thunder for Brand New Strings

CMA (Country Music Association) Awards

1982 Male Vocalist Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs
1982 Horizon Award: Ricky Skaggs
1983 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs Band
1984 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs Band
1985 Entertainer Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs
1985 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs Band
1987 Vocal Duo Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Sharon White

IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Awards

1998 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
1998 Album Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder for Bluegrass Rules!
1999 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
2000 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
2000 Instrumental Album Of The Year: David Grisman, Ronnie McCoury, Sam Bush, Frank Wakefield, Bobby Osborne, Jesse McReynolds, Ricky Skaggs & Buck White for Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza
2000 Recorded Event Of The Year: David Grisman, Ronnie McCoury, Sam Bush, Frank Wakefield, Bobby Osborne, Jesse McReynolds, Ricky Skaggs & Buck White for Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza
2002 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
2003 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
2004 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
2005 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder

Other Awards and Accomplishments

R&R Best New Artist
Billboard magazine's Artist of the Year
Musician Magazine- Voted One of the Top 100 Guitarists of the Century
Artist of the Decade- Listeners' Poll Award BBC Radio 2

External links