Governor Proclaims Earl Scruggs Weekend 2022

WHEREAS, American music legend Earl Scruggs was born in North Carolina and grew up in the Flint Hill community of Cleveland County; and

WHEREAS, at age 10, Scruggs began to develop a unique three-fingered technique to play the banjo, which later became known as Scruggs Style; and

WHEREAS, on December 8, 1945, as a member of Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys, Scruggs debuted on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium and electrified the audience with his banjo, leading to the birth of bluegrass music and dramatically changing the role of the instrument in American popular music; and

WHEREAS, with Flatt & Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys, Scruggs produced widely recognized tunes such as the “Ballad of Jed Clampett,” the first bluegrass song to reach the number one spot on the country music charts, and “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” one of the most recognizable tunes in the bluegrass canon; and

WHEREAS, Scruggs’ music and creativity reached an even wider audience as he formed the Earl Scruggs Revue with his sons, played to large audiences across the country, and later toured with his Earl Scruggs Family and Friends band; and

WHEREAS, during his influential career, Scruggs was honored with four Grammy awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award, the President’s National Medal of Arts, the National Heritage Fellowship Award, and inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, the Earl Scruggs Music Festival pays tribute to the life of this extraordinary North Carolinian, who made a profound impact on American music, inspired countless musicians, and earned the admiration of the people of our state and the world;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim September 2 – 4, 2022, as “EARL SCRUGGS WEEKEND” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.