Ricky Skaggs

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Ricky Skaggs, April 1988
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Ricky Skaggs, April 1988

Ricky Skaggs (born July 18, 1954 in Lawrence County, Kentucky) is a country music musician, singer and composer. Skaggs' first major professional break came in 1970 when he joined Ralph Stanley's legendary bluegrass band, the Clinch Mountain Boys. He is an acknowledged virtuoso on the mandolin and also plays fiddle, guitar, banjo and several wind instruments and for part of his career was a member of Emmylou Harris's "Hot Band". He wrote the arrangements for Harris' highly revered bluegrass-roots album, Roses In The Snow. In addition to arranging, Skaggs also sang harmony and played a number of instruments on the album, including mandolin and fiddle.

Skaggs moved to Nashville in 1980 where he produce his debut album, Waitin' For The Sun To Shine. The album produced four chart singles including two back-to-back number ones. Building on that success he went on to almost singlehandedly rescue country music from the doldrums it found itself in the 1970s. He joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1982 - at that time the youngest member to be included. He racked up an impressive 18 Top Ten singles with 12 topping the charts. Skaggs picked up dozens of industry awards in the ensuing years including four Grammys and eight awards from the Country Music Association.

His dedication to the music and the traditional bluegrass style has endeared him to many fans and he has become a country music icon. Says Skaggs, "I always want to try to promote the old music as well as trying to grow and be a pioneer, too."


Contents

Discography

  • Second Generation Bluegrass (with Keith Whitley) 1971
  • That's It 1975
  • Sweet Temptation 1979
  • Skaggs & Rice (with Tony Rice) 1980
  • Waitin' For The Sun To Shine 1981
  • Highway & Heartaches 1982
  • Family & Friends 1982
  • Don't Cheat In Our Hometown 1983
  • Country Boy 1984
  • Favorite Country Songs 1985
  • Live In London 1985
  • Love's Gonna Get Ya! 1986
  • Comin' Home To Stay 1988
  • Kentucky Thunder 1989
  • My Father's Son 1991
  • Ricky Skaggs Portrait 1992
  • Super Hits 1993
  • Solid Ground 1995
  • Life Is A Journey 1997
  • Bluegrass Rules (with Kentucky Thunder) 1997
  • Ancient Tones (with Kentucky Thunder) 1999
  • Soldier of The Cross (with Kentucky Thunder) 1999
  • History of the Future (with Kentucky Thunder) 2001
  • Live at the Charleston Music Hall (with Kentucky Thunder) 2003
  • BRAND NEW STRINGS (with Kentucky Thunder) 2004

Grammy Awards

  • 1983 Best Country Instrumental Performance: New South (J.D.Crowe, Jerry Dounglas, Todd Phillips, Tony Rice, 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 Riaisin' The Dickins
  • 1991 Best Country Vocal Collaboration: Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner & Vince Gill for Restless
  • 1998 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs And Kentucky Thunder for Bluegrass Rules!
  • 1998 Best Country Collaboration With Vocals: Clint Black, Joe Diffie, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Patty Loveless, Earl Scruggs, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, Pam Tillis, Randy Travis, Travis Tritt & Dwight Yoakam 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

CMA (Country Music Assosiation) 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

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, Ronnie McCoury, Sam Bush, Frank Wakefield, Bobby Osborne, Jesse McReynolds, Ricky Skaggs & Buck White for Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza
  • 2000 Recorded Event Of The Year: David Grisman, Ronnie McCoury, Sam Bush, Frank Wakefield, 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

Other Awards and Accomplishments

  • R&R Best New Artist
  • Billboard magazine'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 Radio 2

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