Flatt & Scruggs - Get In Line Brothers (1951)

Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs met as members of Bill Monroe's band, the Blue Grass Boys, in 1946. The two left that band early in 1948, and within a few months had formed their own group, the Foggy Mountain Boys. Scruggs' banjo style and Flatt's rhythm guitar style as well as his vocals gave them a distinctive sound that won them many fans. In 1955 they became members of the Grand Ole Opry. Many of the songs on their albums are credited to "Certain and Stacey". These songs were in fact written by Flatt, Scruggs, and various other members of the Foggy Mountain Boys. Certain and Stacey are the maiden names of the wives of Flatt and Scruggs (Louise Certain, wife of Earl Scruggs, and Gladys Stacey, wife of Lester Flatt).

Scruggs, who had always shown progressive tendencies, experimented on duets with saxophonist King Curtis and added songs by the likes of Bob Dylan to the group's repertoire. Flatt, a traditionalist, did not like these changes, and the group broke up in 1969. Following the breakup, Lester Flatt founded the Nashville Grass and Scruggs lead the Earl Scruggs Revue. Flatt died in 1979 at the age of 64. Scruggs still performs occasionally, as his health permits. Flatt and Scruggs were elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1985.

In 2003, they ranked #24 on CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music, one of only four non-solo artists to make the list (Eagles, Alabama, and Brooks & Dunn are the others).

In the film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the band formed by the heroes is called the "Soggy Bottom Boys" as a tribute to the band

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bluegrass

[Fordman42]

flatt and scruggs will always be my favorite people along with stringbean [dave akeman] and grandpa jones and curly sekler on fiddle, and I still watch old fashioned music on RFDTV. Theres a channel for people like me and all of ya, if your as devoted as me to this stuff. Seeing how the world is going and come to the past 50 years, I get teary eyed when I here every song, and theres many and some covers by flatt and scruggs. Thanks

[Fordman42]

i remember this show i was at in 1952 and i went to the show to see lester and earl. they were magnificent

[guitar5289]

@aroundthebend1 You got that right!

[leraymond777]

Love it! Thank you so much!!!!!!!! :-)

[aroundthebend1]

There's some good banjo players out there, but there'll never be another Earl Scruggs.

[Pickinbuddy]

Greatest music in the world...

[rocmaven]

i have my tickets to see the wonderful ricky skaggs kentucky thunder at watseka theatre watseka illinois on friday august 26

[clyderf]

Although Bill Monroe and others have provided great music and heavy influence, the early to middle fifties Flatt and Scruggs band set the standard of reference for all bluegrass groups that have followed. Typically, Earle's breaks on this number are so good that there are no descriptive words that are worthy of them.

[JoeRailfan]

Earl just sparkles on this tune. Great stuff!

[Boysenberr]

You have excellent taste. This is terrific!