Who Was Earl Scruggs? 'Cripple Creek' Musician Honored By Google Doodle

On Friday, Google Doodle honored legendary bluegrass musician Earl Scruggs, who revolutionized how the modern banjo is played. For the uninitiated, Scruggs pioneered the widely used three-finger method of picking — now known as “Scruggs style” — changing American roots music forever.

Born Jan. 6, 1924, in Cleveland County, North Carolina, he started playing the banjo while working on the family farm. At the age of 21, Scruggs joined Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys band. It was here he met fellow musician Lester Flatt, paving way for a successful partnership in the later years.

In the late 1940s, Flatt and Scruggs launched the Foggy Mountain Boys. In 1955, the duo's Flatt & Scruggs Grand Ole Opry show premiered, which ran for 14 years. It is believed to have revived folk music in the United States during that time period.

After splitting from Flatt in 1969, Scruggs formed "Earl Scruggs Revue” with his sons Gary and Randy. Speaking about his deceased father, Gary told Google the musician was also keen on sharing his knowledge with the world.

"I very much admired the fact that my Dad was not only a world-class musician, but was also willing and eager to teach his musical skills to anyone asking his advice. His banjo instruction book, Earl Scruggs and the 5-String Banjo, is a testimony to his willingness to share his musical 'secrets' with the world," he told the Google Doodle makers.

Flatt and Scruggs' "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" piece was included on the soundtrack to the 1967 film "Bonnie & Clyde". Committees inducting him in their hall of fame include Country Music Hall of Fame, the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, and the Nashville Songwriters’ Hall of Fame. He also received his personal star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The doodle commemorates the day the Earl Scruggs Center opened its doors in 2014. Though he wasn't alive to see it, he was involved in the design and planning for the facility. "Even though my father, Earl Scruggs, passed away before the Earl Scruggs Center opened, he was involved in its planning stages. It was important for him that the Earl Scruggs Center would serve as more than a museum displaying interesting artifacts and memorabilia, but as an educational facility as well...there’s no doubt, he would be very proud that the Earl Scruggs Center offers educational programs and learning experiences to people of all ages," the junior Scruggs said.