At the risk of veering off topic, which of you guys kept calling out for Martha White at the Carnegie Hall concert in 62? (The guy who yelled out “Judas” when Bob Dylan toured the UK in the 60s has since been identified).

I trust y'all are ready for some "weird." 

I'm basically indifferent when it comes to meeting famous people.  However, last nite I dreamed I met Earl Scruggs.*   Can't recall may details, but I was laying in a hospital bed and he appeared (?) alongside.  I had a bit of difficulty getting my arm from under the cover so as I could shake his hand.   IF there was any conversation, I don't recall it.  He was wearing a gray jacket quite similar to this one.

* IF I had my druthers I'd probably have preferred it was Claudia Schiffer.  

quote:

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Originally posted by Owen

I trust y'all are ready for some "weird." 

I'm basically indifferent when it comes to meeting famous people.  However, last nite I dreamed I met Earl Scruggs.*   Can't recall may details, but I was laying in a hospital bed and he appeared (?) alongside.  I had a bit of difficulty getting my arm from under the cover so as I could shake his hand.   IF there was any conversation, I don't recall it.  He was wearing a gray jacket quite similar to this one.

* IF I had my druthers I'd probably have preferred it was Claudia Schiffer.  

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yeah but if your luck is like mine....... she would  still  have on that same jacket zipped to the neck.

Earl did have a brown leather bomber jacket from Gibson. Had his name stitched on it. Not exactly the one in your dream....

I heard he used to wear this at festivals…

I had to the pleasure of carrying Earl's banjo in the early 80s at Sho-Bud in Nashville. Earl brought his banjo in for a repair by Gene Wooten, who worked at Sho-Bud and played dobro with Wilma Lee Cooper.

I was the janitor at Sho-Bud.

Thanks to Kathy Sacra, who called me down to the Sho-Bud showroom, I got to carry Earl's banjo up to the repair department where Gene did the work.

I met Earl in January 1998 at the SPBGMA convention in Nashville, TN. He was there for a promotion event for Gibson. The line to meet him was long and folks were given approximately 2 minutes per person to talk, get an autograph, and to get a photograph taken with him. There was a person there with a stop watch to make sure the time limit wasn't exceeded as well as numerous body guards in the room around Earl. I got to shake his hand, talk to him, and get his autograph on a Gibson banjo poster.

Make me feel about 50 years younger and have anything remind me of tuning in to WWVA or some station like that 60 or years ago and hearing the announcer say "Now we've Got Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper"  Thanks,

I didn't get to meet Earl in person but thanks to Little Roy Lewis, was able to meet him by phone. Funny story. In 2006 I was playing banjo with Karl Shiflett playing in Ohio somewhere. The Lewis Family was on the show and Roy was standing at our record table chatting about F & S. I loved hearing his story about how he used to go to the road to wave at F & S bus when they'd pass by when he was a kid. After a few minutes he abruptly walks away, which was normal as he was always going a million miles a minute. A few minutes later he comes walking back over to the table talking on a phone. He gets in front of me and says into the phone "here's a boy who likes he can play the banjo like you" and hands me the phone. I say hello and the unmistakable voice of Earl answered. We chatted for a few minutes, me stumbling every word because, really what do you say to Earl? I like your playing lol. Anyway, I said it was nice talking to you and handed the phone back to Roy. He then says "and here's a fella that thinks he plays and sings like Lester" and hands the phone to Karl. I was shaking and could see Karl doing the same.

One other story that happened to my dad, since he's not here to tell it, I thought it was cool. In 1998 I was picking with the Wildwood Valley Boys and got to go to the Opry with Uncle Dale who was playing with Melvin Goins. My dad was jealous he didn't get to go on that trip with us. Shortly after getting home from that trip, Uncle came to our house on his way back to Nashville and took my dad with him. From what I was told, Sonny & Bobby were playing the ryman that Thursday. Dad said when they walked in the back door, the brothers were doing sound check. Dad and uncle stood at the side of the stage watching. There was an older fella sitting at a table, dad said he looked down at the fella and it was Earl. He said that he starts tapping Dale but couldn't speak. Dale had met Earl a few times and greeted him and introduced my dad to him. After sound check was over, Dad, Dale, & Sonny went to the dressing room with Earl and there was a room full of other greats who showed up. Wynn Osborne, J.D., and Big K. They spent hours trading stories, which man, to be a fly on the wall just to hear that.

Big thanks to Roy though, such a cool experience.

- Wes

quote:

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Originally posted by wes_vanderpool

I didn't get to meet Earl in person but thanks to Little Roy Lewis, was able to meet him by phone. Funny story. In 2006 I was playing banjo with Karl Shiflett playing in Ohio somewhere. The Lewis Family was on the show and Roy was standing at our record table chatting about F & S. I loved hearing his story about how he used to go to the road to wave at F & S bus when they'd pass by when he was a kid. After a few minutes he abruptly walks away, which was normal as he was always going a million miles a minute. A few minutes later he comes walking back over to the table talking on a phone. He gets in front of me and says into the phone "here's a boy who likes he can play the banjo like you" and hands me the phone. I say hello and the unmistakable voice of Earl answered. We chatted for a few minutes, me stumbling every word because, really what do you say to Earl? I like your playing lol. Anyway, I said it was nice talking to you and handed the phone back to Roy. He then says "and here's a fella that thinks he plays and sings like Lester" and hands the phone to Karl. I was shaking and could see Karl doing the same.

One other story that happened to my dad, since he's not here to tell it, I thought it was cool. In 1998 I was picking with the Wildwood Valley Boys and got to go to the Opry with Uncle Dale who was playing with Melvin Goins. My dad was jealous he didn't get to go on that trip with us. Shortly after getting home from that trip, Uncle came to our house on his way back to Nashville and took my dad with him. From what I was told, Sonny & Bobby were playing the ryman that Thursday. Dad said when they walked in the back door, the brothers were doing sound check. Dad and uncle stood at the side of the stage watching. There was an older fella sitting at a table, dad said he looked down at the fella and it was Earl. He said that he starts tapping Dale but couldn't speak. Dale had met Earl a few times and greeted him and introduced my dad to him. After sound check was over, Dad, Dale, & Sonny went to the dressing room with Earl and there was a room full of other greats who showed up. Wynn Osborne, J.D., and Big K. They spent hours trading stories, which man, to be a fly on the wall just to hear that.

Big thanks to Roy though, such a cool experience.

- Wes

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That is incredibly cool, Wes! 

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Originally posted by chuckv97

I heard he used to wear this at festivals…

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My stomach hurts from laughing at that one, Chuck! 

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Originally posted by 1935tb-11

didn't really meet him but did talk to him on the phone through another friend that knew him pretty well. it was about a 5 minute conversation with me trying to find something cool to say.. mostly i said yes sir and no sir ... he did ask about my 11 which was nice.

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oh yeah i forgot to  mention in earlier post.  about 2 weeks after i  talk with him  on the phone a envelope  showed up in the mail with an autographed 8x10 of earl......  i guess my buddy gave him my address and he thought it would make my day..... which it did !!!

Great read about the Sho-Bud connection to Earl.
My Dad traded in his Fender 3 pedal for a Sho-Bud Pro II.
He later traded in the Pro II for a Pro I because he was only using the C6 neck as a shelf for his drink and ashtray.

They offered a Sho-Bud banjo (import?) which wasn't thought highly of.

I got to shake his hand once.

In 1962, I think it was, the Foggies played the Aerie Crown Theatre in Chicago on a bill with Ramblin' Jack Elliott. I don't recall who opened for whom, although I suspect that Jack opened for Lester and Earl. After the concert my friend Jimmy and I went backstage. We both met and talked with Earl, and Jimmy got Earl's autograph. Many years later, in 2004, Earl and company played the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. Although I did not get the chance to talk to Earl, I did talk to Gary Scruggs, who kindly obtained Earl's autograph on a photo of Earl playing my banjo in1966. Gary autographed i too.