Despite early reports teasing something far more contentious, most sources paint the March 11, 1969, split of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs Foggy Mountain Boys as a case of creative differences. And while it’s hard to spin the breakup of a legendary act as a completely positive development, there are certainly reasons to be thankful that Flatt and Scruggs parted ways.
Throughout their 20-plus-year partnership, Flatt and Scruggs took former boss Bill Monroe’s creation, bluegrass music, to a global audience. Flatt’s guitar-picking and vocal delivery and Scruggs’ innovative banjo skills won over a broad radio and television following through their longstanding relationship with their sponsor, Martha White Flour. Their widespread fan base grew even larger thanks to The Ballad of Jed Clampett, the
Fifty-two years ago today (March 11, 1969) was a sad day for Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs: It was on that date that the men, together known as the bluegrass duo Flatt and Scruggs, split up, ending a musical partnership that spanned 25 years.
Flatt and Scruggs first began playing together in 1945, as part of another band, but in 1948, they launched out on their own, along with their band, known as the Foggy Mountain Boys. The duo remained a mainstay on the charts for the next several years, with hits such as Tis Sweet to Be Remembered and The Ballad of Jed Clampett, the latter of which was the theme song for the TV show