Earl Scruggs’ Funeral Set for Sunday
Services for country and bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs are planned for Sunday (April 1) at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The funeral will be held at the one-time home of the Grand Ole Opry, beginning at 2PM CT, with visitation scheduled at the Spring Hill Funeral Home in Nashville between 3 and 7PM on Friday and Saturday.
Following the funeral Sunday night, Scruggs will be honored at the 2012 ACM Awards in Las Vegas. Comedian and banjo player Steve Martin, who according to the Associated Press is a big fan of Scruggs, was already scheduled to appear on stage in a duet with Rascal Flatts. It's not clear if he'll also be included in the tribute to the man who popularized the three-finger picking style.
"Earl Scruggs was my friend, and he was also a mentor," Ricky Skaggs told the AP in an email. "I met him 50 years ago at the Ryman Auditorium where bluegrass music was birthed and ironically where Earl's funeral service will be held on Sunday."
He added, "His impact on American music is immeasurable. Nearly every banjo sold from 1946 till today can be traced back to Earl Scruggs' playing style and the influence he's had on bluegrass music."
Scruggs died on Wednesday morning of natural causes. His family is asking that donations in his honor go to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, or to the Earl Scruggs Center in Shelby, N.C. The family will hold a private burial.