Rickie Lee Skaggs (born July 18, 1954), known professionally as Ricky Skaggs, is an American

neotraditional country Neotraditional country (also known as new traditional country and hardcore country) is a country music style that emphasizes the instrumental background and a traditional country vocal style. Neo-traditional country artists often dress in the fash ...

and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

. He primarily plays

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...

; however, he also plays

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

, guitar,

mandocaster The electric mandolin is an instrument tuned and played as the mandolin and amplified in similar fashion to an electric guitar. As with electric guitars, electric mandolins take many forms. Most common is a carved-top eight-string instrument fit ...

, and

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

. Skaggs was inducted into the

Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum (MHOF) in Nashville honors all musicians regardless of genre or instrument. The MHOF timeline starts with the beginning of recorded music and inductees are nominated by current members of the American Feder ...

in 2016 and both the

International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame Induction to the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, called the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor from its creation in 1991 through 2006, is managed by the International Bluegrass Music Association, and the Hall itself is mainta ...

and the

Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amass ...

in 2018. On January 13, 2021, it was announced Skaggs had been awarded the

National Medal of Arts The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and Patronage, patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and ar ...

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

, alongside fellow country musician

Toby Keith Toby Keith Covel (born July 8, 1961), known professionally as Toby Keith, is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer. He released his first four studio albums—1993's ''Toby Keith'', 1994's ''Boomtown'', 1996' ...

Biography

Early career

Skaggs was born in

Cordell, Kentucky Cordell is an unincorporated community in Lawrence County, Kentucky, in the United States. History A post office was established at Cordell in 1898, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1975. The community was named in honor of th ...

. He started playing music at age 5 after he was given a

by his father, Hobert Skaggs. At age 6, he played mandolin and sang on stage with

Bill Monroe William Smith "Bill" Monroe (; September 13, 1911 – September 9, 1996) was an American mandolinist, singer, and songwriter, who created the bluegrass music genre. Because of this, he is often called the " Father of Bluegrass". The genre take ...

. At age 7, he appeared on television's

Martha White Martha White is an American brand of flour, cornmeal, cornbread mixes, cake mixes, muffin mixes, and similar products. The Martha White brand was established as the premium brand of Nashville, Tennessee-based Royal Flour Mills in 1899. At that ti ...

country music variety show, playing with

Lester Flatt Lester Raymond Flatt (June 19, 1914 – May 11, 1979) was an American bluegrass guitarist and mandolinist, best known for his collaboration with banjo picker Earl Scruggs in the duo Flatt and Scruggs. Flatt's career spanned multiple decades, ...

and

Earl Scruggs Earl Eugene Scruggs (January 6, 1924 – March 28, 2012) was an American musician noted for popularizing a three-finger banjo picking style, now called "Scruggs style", which is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music. His three-fin ...

. He also wanted to audition for the

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...

at that time, but was told he was too young. In his mid-teens, Skaggs met a fellow teen guitarist,

Keith Whitley Jackie Keith Whitley (July 1, 1954 – May 9, 1989) was an American country music singer and songwriter. During his career, Whitley released only two albums but charted 12 singles on the ''Billboard'' country charts, and 7 more after his death. ...

, and the two started playing together with Whitley's banjo playing brother, Dwight, on radio shows. By 1970, they had earned a spot opening for

Ralph Stanley Ralph Edmund Stanley (February 25, 1927 – June 23, 2016) was an American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing. Stanley began playing music in 1946, originally with his older brother Carter Stanley as part of ...

, and Skaggs and Keith Whitley were thereafter invited to join Stanley's band, the

Clinch Mountain Boys Ralph Edmund Stanley (February 25, 1927 – June 23, 2016) was an American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing. Stanley began playing music in 1946, originally with his older brother Carter Stanley as part of ...

. Skaggs later joined

The Country Gentlemen The Country Gentlemen was a progressive bluegrass band that originated during the 1950s in the area of Washington, D.C., United States, and recorded and toured with various members until the death in 2004 of Charlie Waller (American musician), C ...

in Washington, DC,

J. D. Crowe James Dee Crowe (August 27, 1937December 24, 2021) was an American banjo player and bluegrass band leader. He first became known during his four-year stint with Jimmy Martin in the 1950s. Crowe led the bluegrass group New South from 1971 until ...

New South New South, New South Democracy or New South Creed is a slogan in the history of the American South first used after the American Civil War. Reformers used it to call for a modernization of society and attitudes, to integrate more fully with the ...

. In 1976, Skaggs formed progressive bluegrass band Boone Creek, including members

Vince Gill Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American country music singer, songwriter and musician. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman of the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s and as a solo artist b ...

and

Jerry Douglas Gerald Calvin "Jerry" Douglas (born May 28, 1956) is an American Dobro and lap steel guitar player and record producer. Career In addition to his fourteen solo recordings, Douglas has played on more than 1,600 albums. As a sideman, he has ...

. For a few years, Skaggs was a member of

Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She has released dozens of albums and singles over the course of her career and has won 14 Grammys, the Polar Music Prize, and numerous other honors, including ...

's Hot Band. He wrote the arrangements for Harris's 1980 bluegrass-roots album, ''

Roses in the Snow ''Roses in the Snow'' is the seventh album by country music artist Emmylou Harris, released in 1980. While Harris' previous release, 1979's '' Blue Kentucky Girl'', featured traditional, straight-ahead country (as opposed to the country-rock of ...

''. In addition to arranging for Harris, Skaggs sang harmony and played mandolin and fiddle in the Hot Band.

Country career

Skaggs launched his own career in 1980, achieving 12 No. 1 hits, 8 CMA awards, and 8 ACM awards. In 1982, he became a member of the

, the youngest musician ever to be inducted at that time. Guitarist and producer

Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music s ...

credited Skaggs with "single-handedly" saving country music. Skaggs is considered one of the pioneers of the

Neotraditional country Neotraditional country (also known as new traditional country and hardcore country) is a country music style that emphasizes the instrumental background and a traditional country vocal style. Neo-traditional country artists often dress in the fash ...

sub-genre. In 1981, he debuted on

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...

with the album ''Waitin for the Sun to Shine'', which brought him to both the country and pop charts and produced two No. 1 hits. In 1982, he released '' Highways & Heartaches'', his only platinum album, featuring the instrumental heavy "

Highway 40 Blues "Highway 40 Blues" is a song written by Larry Cordle, and recorded by American country music artist Ricky Skaggs. It was released in March 1983 as the third single from the album '' Highways & Heartaches''. The song was Skaggs' fifth number one o ...

". Keeping with his instrumental heavy themes, he released " Country Boy" on the album of the same name. He also had

as a guest on this album. Exploring a role as producer, Skaggs produced

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

's album ''

White Limozeen ''White Limozeen'' is the twenty-ninth solo studio album by American entertainer Dolly Parton. It was released on May 30, 1989, by Columbia Records. The album returned the performer to the country music fold, after the critical and commercial fa ...

'', which started her comeback in country music. Skaggs also guested on other albums. In 1995, he sang with

on "

Go Rest High on That Mountain "Go Rest High on That Mountain" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Vince Gill. It was released in August 1995 as the sixth single from his album '' When Love Finds You''. It is a eulogic ballad. Gill began writing the ...

", which later won CMA's Song of the Year and was determined by BMI to be the Most-Performed Song in 1997.

Later career

In 1996, Skaggs went back to his bluegrass roots, and also experimented with new sounds. With his band,

Kentucky Thunder Kentucky Thunder, or Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, is the band that plays with American country and bluegrass singer Ricky Skaggs. Many members of the band have won numerous awards. Bandleader Ricky Skaggs plays mandolin and is the lea ...

, he is a perennial winner of Grammy Awards and International Bluegrass Music Association for best bluegrass album. Ricky Skaggs in May 2016 (cropped)

In 2000, he shared the stage with Vermont-based

jam band A jam band is a musical group whose concerts (and live albums) are characterized by lengthy improvisational "jams." These include extended musical improvisation over rhythmic grooves and chord patterns, and long sets of music which often cr ...

Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon ...

. On March 20, 2007, Skaggs released an album with rock musician

Bruce Hornsby Bruce Randall Hornsby (born November 23, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. His music draws from folk rock, jazz, bluegrass, folk, Southern rock, country rock, jam band, rock, heartland rock, and blues rock musical traditions ...

. In 2008, Skaggs released an album he recorded with

The Whites The Whites is an American country music vocal group from Fort Worth, Texas, United States. It consists of sisters Sharon White and Cheryl White, and their father, Buck White. Sharon on guitar, Cheryl on bass and Buck on Mandolin. Formed in 1972, ...

on his Skaggs Family Records label. In 2008, Skaggs recorded a bluegrass version of "Old Enough" by the Raconteurs with

Ashley Monroe Ashley Lauren Monroe (born September 10, 1986) is an American country music singer-songwriter. Monroe has released two solo singles, "Satisfied" and "I Don't Want To" (which featured Brooks & Dunn singer Ronnie Dunn), that reached the U.S. ''Bi ...

and the Raconteurs. He played the

on the track as well as sharing vocals with

Jack White John Anthony White (; born July 9, 1975), commonly known as Jack White, is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the duo the White Stripes. White has enjoyed consistent critical and popular success and is widely c ...

Brendan Benson Brendan Benson (born November 14, 1970) is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He plays guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, and drums. He has released eight solo albums and is a member of the band The Raconteurs. Recording career ''One Missi ...

, and

. In 2011, Skaggs, along with other musicians including the Irish band

The Brock McGuire Band The Brock McGuire Band is an Irish Folk group fronted by Paul Brock and Manus McGuire. Residing in County Clare, button accordionist and melodeonist Paul Brock and fiddler Manus McGuire are two of Ireland’s most celebrated traditional musicia ...

, released their album 'Green Grass Blue Grass", an exploration of the connection between

Irish Traditional Music Irish traditional music (also known as Irish trad, Irish folk music, and other variants) is a genre of folk music that developed in Ireland. In ''A History of Irish Music'' (1905), W. H. Grattan Flood wrote that, in Gaelic Ireland, there w ...

and American Bluegrass and

Appalachian music Appalachian music is the music of the region of Appalachia in the Eastern United States. Traditional Appalachian music is derived from various influences, including the ballads, hymns and fiddle music of the British Isles (particularly Scotland) ...

Also in 2011, Skaggs contributed to ''

Moody Bluegrass Moody Bluegrass is a bluegrass music project that produced two tribute albums to the British progressive rock band the Moody Blues. The albums consist of bluegrass-style cover versions of Moody Blues songs performed by a variety of noted bluegra ...

TWO...Much Love'', a bluegrass

tribute album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records coll ...

to the British

Progressive Rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...

band

the Moody Blues The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1964, initially consisting of keyboardist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas, guitarist Denny Laine, drummer Graeme Edge and bassist Clint Warwick. The group came to ...

. Skaggs sang lead vocal on the song " You And Me". In 2012, Skaggs collaborated with

Barry Gibb Sir Barry Alan Crompton Gibb (born 1 September 1946) is a British musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He rose to worldwide fame as a member of the Bee Gees, one of the most commercially successful groups in the history of popul ...

on the song, "Soldier's Son" which was released on ''Music to My Ears''. In 2015, Skaggs toured with

Ry Cooder Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder (born March 15, 1947) is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, record producer, and writer. He is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work, his interest in traditional music, an ...

, Sharon White and other members of

. In 2016, he produced the Grammy-winning album Love Remains for

Lady Antebellum Lady A (formerly known as Lady Antebellum) is an American country music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2006. The group is composed of Hillary Scott (lead and background vocals), Charles Kelley (lead and background vocals, guitar) ...

member

Hillary Scott Hillary Dawn Scott-Tyrrell (born April 1, 1986) is an American singer and songwriter. She is the co-lead singer of Lady A, previously known as Lady Antebellum, a country music group that was formed in 2006, and is signed to Big Machine Records. ...

. In 2019, he collaborated with

Steven Curtis Chapman Steven Curtis Chapman (born November 21, 1962) is an American contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, author, and social activist. Chapman began his career in the late 1980s as a songwriter and performer of conte ...

for Chapman's album ''Deeper Roots: Where the Bluegrass Grows'' In 2019, Skaggs performed at the 6th

Concert and Induction Ceremony. As of recent years, Skaggs continues performing at the historic Grand Ole Opry house in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2021 Skaggs was nominated for the SOTE award which was delayed by the Covid pandemic.

Personal life

Ricky Skaggs was previously married to Brenda Stanley and has two children, Andrew and Mandy, from that marriage. Skaggs has been married to Sharon White of

since August 1981. They have 2 children; a daughter, Molly, and a son, Lucas. Molly Skaggs is a Christian/Gospel singer. Lucas is a multi-instrumentalist and session musician. In June 2020, Skaggs underwent quadruple

bypass surgery Bypass surgery refers to a class of surgery involving rerouting a tubular body part. Types include: * Vascular bypass surgery such as coronary artery bypass surgery, a heart operation * Cardiopulmonary bypass, a technique used in coronary artery ...

in Nashville. Skaggs in 2021 was awarded the National Medal of the Arts by President

Discography

Awards

Grammy Awards

* 1983 Best Country Instrumental Performance: New South (

J.D. Crowe James Dee Crowe (August 27, 1937December 24, 2021) was an American banjo player and bluegrass band leader. He first became known during his four-year stint with Jimmy Martin in the 1950s. Crowe led the bluegrass group New South from 1971 until ...

Todd Phillips Todd Phillips (né Bunzl, born December 20, 1970) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He began his career in 1993 and directed films in the 2000s such as ''Road Trip (film), Road Trip'', ''Old School (film), Old School'', ...

Tony Rice David Anthony Rice (June 8, 1951 – December 25, 2020), known professionally as Tony Rice, was an American guitarist and bluegrass musician. He was an influential acoustic guitar player in bluegrass, progressive bluegrass, newgrass and a ...

, Ricky Skaggs) for ''Fireball'' * 1984 Best Country Instrumental Performance: Ricky Skaggs for ''Wheel Hoss'' * 1986 Best Country Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist): Ricky Skaggs for ''Raisin' The Dickins'' * 1991 Best Country Vocal Collaboration: Ricky Skaggs,

Steve Wariner Steven Noel Wariner (born December 25, 1954) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Initially a backing musician for Dottie West, he also worked with Bob Luman and Chet Atkins before beginning a solo career in the late 1 ...

for '' Restless'' * 1998 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and

for ''Bluegrass Rules!'' * 1998 Best Country Collaboration with Vocals:

Clint Black Clint Patrick Black (born February 4, 1962) is an American country music singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Signed to RCA Nashville in 1989, Black's debut album '' Killin' Time'' produced four straight number one singles on the ...

Joe Diffie Joe Logan Diffie (December 28, 1958 – March 29, 2020) was an American country music singer and songwriter. After working as a demo singer in the mid 1980s, he signed with Epic Records' Nashville division in 1990. Between then and 2004, Diffie ...

Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled af ...

Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer and musician. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of 8 and recording for the first time at 14. She signed with ...

Patty Loveless Patty Loveless (born Patricia Lee Ramey, January 4, 1957) is an American country music singer. She began performing in her teenaged years before signing her first recording contract with MCA Records' Nashville division in 1985. While her first ...

, Ricky Skaggs,

Marty Stuart John Marty Stuart (born September 30, 1958) is an American country and bluegrass music singer, songwriter, and musician. Active since 1968, Stuart initially toured with Lester Flatt, and then in Johnny Cash's road band before beginning work as a ...

Pam Tillis Pamela Yvonne Tillis (born July 24, 1957) is an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She is the daughter of country music singer Mel Tillis and ex-wife of songwriter Bob DiPiero. Tillis recorded unsuccessful p ...

Randy Travis Randy Bruce Traywick (born May 4, 1959), known professionally as Randy Travis, is an American country music and gospel music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor. Active from 1978 until being incapacitated by a stroke in 2013, he has recor ...

Travis Tritt James Travis Tritt (born February 9, 1963) is an American country music singer and songwriter. He signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1989, releasing seven studio albums and a greatest hits package for the label between then and 1999. In the 20 ...

Dwight Yoakam Dwight David Yoakam (born October 23, 1956) is an American singer-songwriter, actor, and film director. He first achieved mainstream attention in 1986 with the release of his debut album '' Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.''. Yoakam had considerab ...

for ''Same Old Train'' * 1999 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for ''Ancient Tones'' * 2000 Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for ''Soldier Of The Cross'' * 2003 Best Country Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocal: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for ''A Simple Life'' * 2004 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for ''Brand New Strings'' * 2005 Best Musical Album For Children, "Songs From The Neighborhood, The Music Of Mr. Rogers" * 2006 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for ''Instrumentals'' * 2008 Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album: Ricky Skaggs and

for '' Salt of the Earth'' * 2009 Best Bluegrass Album ''Honoring The Fathers Of Bluegrass 1946 & 47'' * 2016 Best Contemporary Christian Music Album (as producer for ''Love Remains'' by

& The Scott Family )

CMA (Country Music Association) Awards

* 1982 Male Vocalist of the Year: Ricky Skaggs * 1982 Horizon Award: Ricky Skaggs * 1983 Instrumental Group of the Year: Ricky Skaggs Band * 1984 Instrumental Group of the Year: Ricky Skaggs Band * 1985 Entertainer of the Year: Ricky Skaggs * 1985 Instrumental Group of the Year: Ricky Skaggs Band * 1987 Vocal Duo of the Year: Ricky Skaggs & Sharon White * 1991 Vocal Event of the Year (with Mark O'Connor & New Nashville Cats)

ACM (Academy of Country Music) Awards

* 1981 Top New Male Vocalist of the Year: Ricky Skaggs * 1982 Band of the Year – Touring: Ricky Skaggs Band * 1983 Band of the Year – Touring: Ricky Skaggs Band * 1984 Band of the Year – Touring: Ricky Skaggs Band * 1984 Specialty Instrument: Ricky Skaggs (Mandolin) * 1985 Band of the Year – Touring: Ricky Skaggs Band * 1986 Band of the Year – Touring: Ricky Skaggs Band * 1987 Specialty Instrument: Ricky Skaggs

IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Awards

* 1998 Instrumental Group of the Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder * 1998 Album Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder for ''Bluegrass Rules!'' * 1999 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder * 2000 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder * 2000 Instrumental Album Of The Year:

David Grisman David Grisman (born March 23, 1945) is an American mandolinist. His music combines bluegrass, folk, and jazz in a genre he calls "Dawg music". He founded the record label Acoustic Disc, which issues his recordings and those of other acoustic mu ...

Ronnie McCoury Ronnie McCoury is an American mandolin player, singer, and songwriter (born March 16, 1967). He is the son of bluegrass musician Del McCoury, and is best known for his work with the Del McCoury Band and the Travelin' McCourys. Biography Ronnie Mc ...

Sam Bush Charles Samuel Bush (born April 13, 1952) is an American mandolinist who is considered an originator of progressive bluegrass music. In 2020, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame as a member of New Grass Revival. ...

, Frank Wakefield,

Bobby Osborne Bobby Osborne (born December 7, 1931) is an American bluegrass musician. He is the co-founder (with his brother Sonny Osborne) of the Osborne Brothers and a member of the Grand Ole Opry and the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. He also ...

Jesse McReynolds Jesse Lester McReynolds (born July 9, 1929) is an American bluegrass musician. He is best known for his innovative crosspicking and split-string styles of mandolin playing. Biography McReynolds was born in Coeburn, Virginia. He and his brother J ...

, Ricky Skaggs & Buck White for ''Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza'' * 2000 Recorded Event of the Year: David Grisman, Ronnie McCoury, Frank Wakefield, Sam Bush, Bobby Osborne, Jesse McReynolds, Ricky Skaggs & Buck White for ''Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza'' * 2002 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder * 2003 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder * 2004 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder * 2005 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder * 2006 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder * 2008 Recorded Event of the Year: Everett Lilly & Everybody and Their Brother; Featuring Everett Lilly, Bea Lilly, Charles Lilly, Daniel Lilly, Mark Lilly, Marty Stuart, Rhonda Vincent, Billy Walker, Ronnie McCoury, Rob McCoury, David Ball, Charlie Cushman, Larry Stephenson, Joe Spivey, Eddie Stubbs, Jason Carter, Dickey Lee, Freddy Weller, Mike Bub, Rad Lewis, Andy May, Darrin Vincent, Marcia Campbell, Clay Rigdon, Eric Blankenship and Bill Wolfenbarger (artists); Charles Lilly & Bill Wolfenbarger (producers); Swift River Music * 2012 Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year: "Singing as We Rise",

Gibson Brothers The Gibson Brothers are a French musical group, originally from Martinique, who had their greatest success during the disco boom of the late 1970s. Their best known hit singles included "Cuba" and " Que Sera Mi Vida". Career The three brother ...

with Ricky Skaggs * 2017 Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year for song "Sacred Memories", Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers with Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White Skaggs * 2018

inductee

TNN/Music City News Country Awards

* 1982 Bluegrass Act of the Year * 1983 Bluegrass Act of the Year * 1983 Star of Tomorrow * 1984 Bluegrass Act of the Year * 1988 Instrumentalist of the Year * 1989 Instrumentalist of the Year * 1990 Instrumentalist of the Year * 1996 Vocal Collaboration of the Year (with Vince Gill & Patty Loveless)

Other awards and accomplishments

, awarded by

in 2021 * Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on March 27, 2018, in the Modern Era category * Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, Class of 2004 * R&R Best New Artist *

Billboard magazine ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...

's Artist of the Year * Musician Magazine- Voted One of the Top 100 Guitarists of the Century * Artist of the Decade- Listeners' Poll Award

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

Radio 2 * CMT's

40 Greatest Men of Country Music 4 (four) is a number, numeral (linguistics), numeral and numerical digit, digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is tetraphobia, considered unlucky in many East Asian c ...

rank No. 37 in 2003. * Judge for the 2nd annual Independent Music Awards * ACM's Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award, 2012 *

Gospel Music Hall of Fame The Gospel Music Hall of Fame, created in 1972 by the Gospel Music Association, is a Hall of Fame dedicated exclusively to recognizing meaningful contributions by individuals and groups in all forms of gospel music. Inductees This is an incompl ...

inductee, 2012 * Bluegrass Star Award, presented by the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation of Dallas, Texas (2017). * Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from

Eastern Kentucky University Eastern Kentucky University (Eastern or EKU) is a public university in Richmond, Kentucky. As a regional comprehensive institution, EKU also maintains branch campuses in Corbin, Hazard, Lancaster, and Manchester and offers over 40 online un ...

– 2005 * Honorary Doctorate of Music from

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

– received in March 2008 * Plaque on Nashville's

StarWalk The StarWalk in Nashville, Tennessee was an outdoor display of cement plaques honoring country music artists who had won Grammy Awards. Honorees left handprints and other personal markings along with written messages in the cement in the manner of G ...

, 1987

References

External links

*
1997 Interview with Ricky Skaggs

Ricky Skaggs Biography

Ricky Skaggs Interview
at NAMM Oral History Collection (2010) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Skaggs, Ricky 1954 births 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American singer-songwriters 21st-century American singer-songwriters American bluegrass mandolinists American country guitarists American country singer-songwriters American male guitarists American male singer-songwriters American multi-instrumentalists Bluegrass musicians from Kentucky Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Country musicians from Kentucky Epic Records artists Grammy Award winners Grand Ole Opry members Guitarists from Kentucky Kentucky Thunder members Living people Musicians from Appalachia New South (band) members People from Lawrence County, Kentucky Rebel Records artists Rounder Records artists Songwriters from Kentucky The Country Gentlemen members United States National Medal of Arts recipients