You can’t encore the past. If I see a bright light shining out there, I want to go toward it. Earl Scruggs More Quotes by Earl Scruggs More Quotes From Earl Scruggs If you don't let things develop, it's like keeping something in a bag and not letting it out to fly Earl Scruggs bagsifs I think Earl Scruggs playing propelled bluegrass and Bill Monroe's music to the level that - where we're all still talking about it. Earl Scruggs levelstalkingthinking I don't like to travel as much as I have in the past, but it's good for my soul to get to pick, especially with these good musicians and these guys that play so well. Earl Scruggs playpasttravel My music came up from the soil of North Carolina. Earl Scruggs carolinasoilnorth-carolina It's made a lot of people richer from hearing Earl Scruggs. And I just think we're all very lucky to have him in the world. Earl Scruggs luckypeoplethinking I mean if it wasn't for Earl Scruggs, guys like me wouldn't be doing what we're doing. I mean, he's changed so many people's lives, honestly. I was thinking about all the thousands of people that live in Nashville, like myself, that there's no reason a guy from New York would end up down there if it wasn't for the sound of Earl Scruggs' banjo coming over the airwaves and just changing my life. Earl Scruggs new-yorkmeanthinking He [Earl Scruggs] was really cool because he was very quiet, and he wouldn't say much, but then he would come out with a quip that was like so perfect and so brilliant, very smart. Earl Scruggs brilliantsmartperfect Earl Scruggs is the guy who really made that leap with using three fingers in a rotating fashion to create this fast rippling sound that had never been heard before. Earl Scruggs fashionguysound Earl Scruggs had this thing that it wasn't just the technique or even the instrument. It was him. There was this soulful quality that came through that made you - if you're somebody like me who was, I guess, supposed to play the banjo, it made you stop in your tracks, and you couldn't do anything until you got done hearing him play, and then immediately you'd have to go try and find a banjo. Earl Scruggs trackplaytrying I've heard of people stopping their cars, having car wrecks, all kinds of things. But most of the banjo players I know had that moment when they heard Earl Scruggs. So, for me, it transcends the technique. It's the musician in him and his personality, his musical personality, such great taste, such great technique, very, very creative. Earl Scruggs carplayerpeople Adrienne Rich was one of the most widely-read and influential poets of her time, a leading feminist, known especially for her politically-engaged verse. Her best-known volume, "Diving into the Wreck," won the National Book Award in 1973. Earl Scruggs feministawardsbook Earl Scruggs wears two finger picks and a thumb pick, and by alternating them, he can play about as fast as he wants. So it's this action. You know, you couldn't move one finger that fast, but all three, it's pretty easy, and it's kind of an incredible leap. Earl Scruggs playtwomoving I enjoy doing new tunes. It gives me a little bit to perk up, to pay a little bit more attention. Earl Scruggs tunesattentiongiving I don't think you'll ever get enough picking. Earl Scruggs getthinkyouenough He used to have a tent show, a little tent show, and I thought I was going to get a job working one year on the tent show, but he closed it down and I never got to go out there, but anyway, he had a sax and played drums. Earl Scruggs downneverjobthought I know she would want me to still do what I'm doing, because she kept me going a lot of times when I'd almost lose interest in getting out on the road. Earl Scruggs loseroadknowme I like drums, really, if they're under control. Earl Scruggs drumsreallycontrollike I worked with a guy, I can't think of his name, him and his wife, and one of them had a saxophone and the other played drums. It wasn't a regular job but I did a few gigs around home with them. Earl Scruggs namejobwifehome She was a great lady. We raised three boys, were together as long as she lived, and now she's passed on. Earl Scruggs ladygreattogetherlong That was one of the best, exciting things for me to play with them. They were very young and eager to go. I'd been playing with a band that was mostly old folks that had been together so long we couldn't do anything to excite each other. Earl Scruggs bestmetogetherlong
