Known as the “Father of Bluegrass Banjo,” Earl Scruggs died of natural causes on the morning of March 28 at the age of 88. Perhaps the most influential banjo player of the past century, Scruggs popularized a three-finger picking style that defined bluegrass banjo playing and spread like wildfire among banjo players all over the world. Today, Scruggs-style banjo playing is still the standard in bluegrass. Scruggs was born and grew up near Shelby in Cleveland County, North Carolina.
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