Earl Scruggs "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" with JD Crowe Bill Emerson Sonny Osborne and More

2025 at the Earl Scruggs Center — One Word: Together When we look back on 2025 at the Earl Scruggs Center, one word comes to mind: together. This was a year of milestones, made possible by the dedication of our staff, Board, and volunteers — and by the generosity, encouragement, and presence of friends like you. We took a historic step by announcing the acquisition of the Earl Scruggs Homeplace, ensuring Earl’s story and home community will be preserved for generations. Restoration continues at

“Reuben” was the first tune Earl Scruggs ever played using his three-finger style. After an argument with his brother Horace, his mother sent him to the front room of the house to cool off. Earl picked up his banjo and began playing the only way he knew how until, almost without thinking, his middle finger slipped in. In that instant, everything changed. What came out of that became known as Scruggs style, a technique so singular that only a handful of musicians can truly say they play in a styl