Directing and filming this 90 minute primetime television documentary was one of the great moments of my career. PBS was looking for filmmakers to make films on country music, bluegrass music, mountain music. I had made several films on that subject including my classic, Bluegrass Roots, circa 1965.
Due to the efforts of my partner at that time, we got the chance to be with Earl Scruggs and his family including his sons Randy and Gary as he was on a mission to find connections between his music and the banjo and other forms of music.
As part of his effort to build a new musical base having left Flatt and Scruggs, he engaged with his sons and contacted musicians like Bob Dylan, Doc Watson (one of his closest and oldest friends) Bill Monroe, Roger McGuinn & The Birds, Charlie Daniels, Joan Baez and asked them if he could come and play his banjo on some of their greatest tunes. Of course all said yes.
This scene opens backstage at The Grand Ole Opry in the Ryman Auditorium. Earl & his sons are picking a tune with Bill Monroe who Earl played with before Flatt and Scruggs. The Ryman was Earl's home. He stepped on the stage with the audience knowing just who he was but many in the audience had never heard son Randy, at 16 years old already a spectacular guitar picker.
The Opry's long-standing history and its connection to the Ryman Auditorium, represented to me, a Long Island, NY kid who used to hear the Opry on WSM radio, as the essence of country music. The show consistently showcased both established and up-and-coming artists, thus promoting a sense of continuity in the genre.
To Earl The Grand Ole Opry was the "home" of country music and The Opry's presence at the Ryman helped establish Nashville (where he lived at the time) as the hub for musicians, songwriters, and industry professionals.
The Opry's format which included a mix of music, comedy and storytelling emphasized a sense of community and camaraderie among performers and audience members alike. The Ryman Auditorium was often referred to as the "Mother Church of Country Music.”
Earl Scruggs began exploring collaborations with musicians from other genres in the late 1960s and early 1970s, primarily to broaden his musical horizons and reach new audiences. His interest in working with artists like The Byrds, Bob Dylan, and Joan Baez came from a desire to experiment with different musical styles and find common ground between bluegrass and contemporary popular music. This was a bold move for Scruggs, who was known for his traditional bluegrass roots.
The result of Scruggs' quest to collaborate with these artists was my 90 minute primetime television documentary "Earl Scruggs: His Family and Friends," which aired in 1972. It showcased Earl Scruggs playing banjo with well-known musicians such as The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Doc Watson and others.
These collaborations were significant for several reasons:
They introduced Earl Scruggs to new audiences who might not have been familiar with his work in bluegrass, increasing his popularity and expanding his fan base.
They demonstrated the potential for cross-genre collaborations, proving that musicians from different backgrounds and styles could come together to create unique and exciting music.
The collaborations helped to bridge the gap between traditional roots music and the contemporary sounds of the era, further blurring the lines between genres and showing that music could be a unifying force.
They inspired future generations of musicians to explore collaborations outside their respective genres, paving the way for countless cross-genre collaborations in the years to come.
It is important for me to say in this commentary what an extraordinarily wonderful, kind, excepting man Earl Scruggs was. He treated me kindly when times were tough and I was finding environments where it was not too friendly to be a 16mm documentary filmmaker. He was deeply loved and respected for his bravery in coming out against the Vietnam War at a time when almost every country artist who played and sang at the Grand Ole Opry stood up in favor of the war.
To see other scenes from my film, search the word "Scruggs" on my KZfaq channel. Although they have passed on now I would like to take the opportunity to thank Earl Scruggs and his family, his wife Louise, his sons Randy and Gary, and his son Stevie who I only knew was a little boy playing guitar in the background.
I would like to acknowledge the advertisers who by placing their ads on this video, help support my effort continue to present clips from my films to my subscribers and others. They include country music bands. Country bands. Saving country music. Easy country music songs. Easy country music songs to play on the guitar. Old country love songs. Earl Scruggs. Grand Ole Opry.
David Hoffman Filmmaker