Music Charts Magazine History – Song for the month of May 2013: The Foggy Mountain Boys – “Pray For The Boys”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Listen to the song here

 

Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs

The Foggy Mountain Boys was an American bluegrass band.

The band was founded by guitarist Lester Flatt and banjo player Earl Scruggs.

The group is considered one of the premier bluegrass groups in the history of the genre.

Originally formed in 1948 by Flatt, who brought Scruggs with him shortly after leaving Bill Monroe’s bluegrass band. Historically, Monroe is considered a premier innovator of the musical genre of bluegrass, with the many early successes that promoted bluegrass to a higher interest.

Flatt and Scruggs and The Foggy Mountain Boys (in various forms and line-ups) recorded and performed together up until 1969. The Foggy Mountain Boys are seen as one of the landmark bands in bluegrass music.

Although it featured various casts, during the years of The Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs Grand Ole Opry Show, notably sponsored by grain and flour producer Martha White, the band showcased fiddle player Paul Warren, a master player both Old-Time and Bluegrass fiddling styles, whose technique reflected all qualitative aspects of ‘the bluegrass breakdown’ and fast bowing style, dobro player Uncle Josh Graves, an innovator of the advanced playing style of the instrument now used in the genre, stand-up bass player Cousin Jake Tullock, and mandolinist Curly Seckler.

Lester Flatt worked for Monroe at the time Earl Scruggs was considered for 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 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).

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.

Read more at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester_Flatt_and_Earl_Scruggs