Chapter 10: Bluegrass
In 1948, just weeks apart, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs left Bill Monroe’s band, seeking relief from the demands of constant touring. They soon teamed up for several radio appearances and then formed their own permanent group: The Foggy Mountain Boys, named after a Carter Family song recorded in the 1920s. The Carter Family’s influence, especially Maybelle Carter’s distinctive guitar style, was deeply respected by the band.
Flatt and Scruggs recruited an outstanding group of musicians to join them:
Jim Shumate on fiddle, who had previously played with Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys and was known for his smooth bowing and inventive solos
Cedric Rainwater (Howard Watts) on bass, another Blue Grass Boys alumnus whose solid timekeeping and comedic stage presence made him a fan favorite
Mac Wiseman on guitar, who had worked briefly with Monroe as a vocalist and rhythm guitarist and brought a clear tenor voice and deep knowledge of traditional ballads
The band quickly gained recognition, recording a series of high-energy, tightly arranged bluegrass classics for Mercury Records between 1948 and 1950. Among their most enduring songs are:
“My Little Girl in Tennessee”
“Old Salty Dog Blues”
“Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” a driving instrumental breakdown that showcases Scruggs’s banjo virtuosity and remains one of the most famous bluegrass instrumentals of all time.
In bluegrass music, a breakdown refers to a fast-paced instrumental composition or section that features solo performances on instruments such as the banjo, fiddle, or mandolin. These segments highlight individual virtuosity and often push musicians to the edge of their technical abilities, thrilling audiences with rapid tempos, complex runs, and improvisational flair. “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” exemplified the breakdown form, offering a showcase for individual instrumentalists and setting the stage for similar pieces like Bill Monroe’s “Blue Grass Breakdown” and Scruggs’s own “Earl’s Breakdown.” In the latter, Scruggs famously demonstrated his innovative use of tuning pegs mid-performance to bend notes and shift pitch, adding a new layer of expression to the banjo’s role in bluegrass music.
Released in 1949 by Flatt and Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys, “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” quickly became one of the most iconic and influential instrumentals in the history of bluegrass. Composed by Earl Scruggs, the tune featured his blistering three-finger banjo picking style, played on a Gibson Granada five-string banjo. The track set a new benchmark for technical excellence and helped introduce many listeners to the breakdown as a core feature of the bluegrass genre. The song gained renewed attention in the late 1960s when it was prominently featured in the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde, bringing the high-octane sound of bluegrass to a new generation of filmgoers and music fans.
Throughout the 1950s, Flatt and Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys toured extensively, playing in a wide range of venues from rural store openings and school auditoriums to Carnegie Hall and major urban music festivals. Their tireless performance schedule helped elevate bluegrass from a regional style to a national genre.
In 1953, the Martha White Flour Company hired the duo to host a daily fifteen-minute radio segment on WSM in Nashville. This consistent exposure introduced them to thousands of listeners across the South and proved enormously successful. By 1955, the Foggy Mountain Boys were officially inducted into the cast of the Grand Ole Opry, cementing their legacy in the pantheon of American roots music.
Through their recordings, radio broadcasts, and relentless touring, Flatt and Scruggs brought bluegrass to the national stage. While Bill Monroe laid the foundation, it was Flatt and Scruggs who demonstrated the genre’s popular potential for future generations.