Biography

Country and bluegrass performer. Born July 18, 1954. Full name: Ricky Lee Skaggs. Performer, recording artist, and producer. As a teenager, worked with bluegrass pioneer Ralph Stanley. Veteran of Emmylou Harris’s Hot Band. Hit recordings include “Heartbroke,” “Highway 40 Blues,” and “Uncle Pen.” Career achievements include numerous Country Music Association (CMA) and Grammy awards.

Interview Summary

1994 January 14
(1 hour, 20 minutes)
Performer Ricky Skaggs talks about the influential career of bluegrass musician, Bill Monroe. Discussion includes his appearance onstage with Monroe at age six; the early popularity of bluegrass; the impact of the separation of bluegrass from country; the dynamics of key bluegrass bands, notably Flatt & Scruggs and Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys; memories from working with Ralph Stanley; the influence of Bill Monroe on later musicians; the role of bluegrass in the development of Ricky Skaggs’s sound; working with Bill Monroe on “Wheel Hoss”; memories from making a music video with Bill Monroe; and some of his insights into Bill Monroe, his life and his personality.