Our student folksong club sponsored F&S in concert when I was in college, and I got to chat briefly with Earl before the show—pretty much just the usual pleasantries. Though that was during the time he endorsed Vega banjos, he confirmed he would be playing the Granada for the show. … and yes, Earl did indeed tune Lester’s guitar before they went on stage.

I never had the pleasure of meeting Earl either. I did, however, meet J. D. Crowe, Ralph Stanley, and many other excellent banjo pickers over the years.

The only time I saw Earl was at Toronto’s Horseshoe Tavern with The Revue. He was in fine form although often in the background. He left the stage with that slight limp , passed through the roped off area and I was able to touch him lightly on the shoulder (with my picking hand!…lol). I didn’t wash that hand for a month….

I got to be a volunteer Roadie and load in for him when he came to Cherokee. Got to meet his actual road manager, who was a cool guy. I was also present at the side of the stage when he fell at Myrtle Beach. That was terrifying, and I still can't figure out how he was not seriously hurt (the man was a tank). Never actually spoke to him though. But he spoke to every fan that approached him at both gigs. I just didn't really have anything to say.

There is a member on here who was close to Earl and Louise. He has told me some great stories about how nice they were to him and how genuine they both were.

I was very fortunate (an answered prayer, in fact!) at age 10, to make the trip from my home in Maine with my family to Sunset Park in West Grove PA to see the F&S show.   At that age I was all eat up with the Dobro and my main goal was to meet Uncle Josh. On Sunday Aug 30 1964 we were stunned by the intricacy and beauty of the F&S show EXCEPT for the too-long "comedy" bit by Josh & Jake (I guess Lester needed 2 cigarettes). In any case Josh was amazing. Out at the Martha White bus my mom and dad and I lingered so I could meet Josh, but he was a busy gopher all the time he was off stage, hauling photos, song books, etc. to the merch table. I never even got to see him up close.

HOWEVER, Lester & Earl were posing for photos at the bus, and my parents pushed me into the line and I got my picture taken with Earl. It was a hot day and they were in the dark suits and hats, so I know they were hot, but both were just as nice as pie to meet and get a photo with. My mom got a shot of Earl and my dad talking a bit after the posing was over.

That was the end of my Dobro playing youth and I switched to banjo within a year.

In the late 1990s a fine friend (now my sister in law) took a copy of the photo of Earl and me to a Gibson-sponsored IBMA meet & greet with Earl, and she got him to autograph it for me. Believe it or not, I was about 45 years old and TOO SHY to meet the man!

Later I got to meet Earl (and Louise) at Cowboy Jack's recording studio and "spa". near Nashville.  I got to shake hands with each of them and tell them how honored I was to meet them. Very nice folks. Not chatty though.

On another topic, I'm fascinated by Bill Rogers comment that Earl tuned Lester's guitar. 'Zat so?!

I've read that when Seckler was with the show, one of his jobs was tuning ALL the instruments.

I went through a line at Merlefest to meet Earl and Louise in 2001. I shook their hands and he signed my program book. Thanks to my wife, it is framed on my wall. One of my buddies had Louise sign his ball cap.

Only ever saw Earl with the Revue from a distance at a festival or two the summer of '72 then again in an outdoor concert on a cold fall or spring night on the Rockville, Maryland, campus of Montgomery College.

I never had the pleasure. The lady I pick a few gigs with now and then, Fayssoux McLean, tells of going to a jam session or two at his house, and like the other stories I've heard about his house jams, it all sounds so humble and real. I'd have loved to meet him.

Shook his hand, nodded and smiled, at some event in Nashville long ago. I wouldn't really count that as "meeting" him, but I came close!

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Old Timer

On another topic, I'm fascinated by Bill Rogers comment that Earl tuned Lester's guitar. 'Zat so?!

I've read that when Seckler was with the show, one of his jobs was tuning ALL the instruments.

---

I think Earl tuned the guitar's 3rd string half step sharp ...."play E, not E minor!" 

I got to meet him when IBMA held the awards in Louisville Kentucky sometime around 2000.

I got the to see Earl in performance at the Charlotte auditorium. Closest I got to someone famous was when I met Elvis Presley while doing security at the Greensboro, NC show.

Not me, I live in a bluegrass/acoustic music/banjo wasteland.

I was at the Carnegie Hall concert in 1962. After the show, I went backstage and got his autograph. I got Lester’s and Merle Travis’s too.

I waited in line and got his autograph at Rockygrass years ago. Didn't talk to him but it was cool standing across the table from him.

Earl Scruggs, sadly, is one of the fellows I never did meet or see in person. I simply never recall having the opportunity to meet Earl. I did see Lester with the Nashville Grass. Having said that - I have in fact seen and met so many of the first and second generation pickers and bands, and actually got the chance to see their shows, that I'm truly blessed in that regard. Heck, I even eventually became friends with so many of these folks over many years that I wouldn't even THINK of whining about not being able to see a few of them - that I wished I had!!

I sat beside him at Jimmy Martin's funeral. We didn't talk any except saying "hello".

Aside from the standard hand-shake-and-autograph thing, there was one occasion.

Back when Doug McKelway was a local news anchor, he heard that Scruggs would be in town to testify before Congress about some copyright legislation. So he invited Scruggs to the station to tape a short item. But then he gathered a bunch of local players--me, Dick Smith, Mike Munford, Ross Nickerson, and maybe some others--and a small backup band to surprise Earl when he arrived. We jammed in the studio (I didn't do particularly well), and a couple of seconds of that showed up in Doug's piece that aired a few days later.

 

I once rode in a Galt House elevator with him when the IBMA Fan Fest was held there. It was a very intimate encounter, but a lot of things were left unsaid.

AT the same IBMA Fan Fest, I saw Earl having a conversation with J. D. Crowe on the Galt House mezzanine.  A fellow walked up to Earl, interrupted the conversation, and asked to have his photo taken with Earl.  Earl agreed, and the guy turned to J. D., handed him the camera, and requested that he take the photo.  J. D. politely agreed and snapped the photo.

I got to meet him at my friend and Wheeling schoolmate Tim O’Brien’s house in Nashville at a New Year’s Day party. He and Bela and David Grier were picking in the living room. David had to take a short break and I borrowed Tim’s guitar and sat in playing rhythm with them for 3 or 4 instrumentals until David returned. It was a religion experience.