Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs Inducted: October 14, 2007 Tennessee native Lester Flatt first hooked up with North Carolina native Earl Scruggs as part of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys in 1945. Three years later, they left Monroe to start their own act. In 1953, Flatt & Scruggs began their WSM radio show for Martha White Flour, then joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1956. Well-known in Bluegrass and Country circles, Flatt & Scruggs became the first Country group to be booked on the Folk music circuit. The duo gained worldwide recognition in 1962 when they recorded the theme song to The Beverly Hillbillies TV show. Although they did not write the song, it hit #1 within five weeks of the show’s first broadcast. In 1967, Earl’s instrumental “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” was used in the film Bonnie & Clyde. That song earned the duo a performance Grammy and went on to achieve Million-Air status from BMI. Throughout their career, Flatt & Scruggs wrote many of their popular songs, including “Don’t Get Above Your Raisin’,” “Crying My Heart Out Over You,” “Flint Hill Special” and “Cabin In The Hills.” Though many authorship claims are associated with the public domain “Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms” (essentially arranger credits), Flatt & Scruggs popularized the song first recorded in 1931 by Buster Carter & Preston Young (who added to, but did not create, the song). It is for that reason that the song is included among their credits here. Their songs were sometimes credited to the maiden names of their wives, Gladys Stacey and Louise Certain. Though they disbanded in 1969, they each were inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Honor and, in 1985, became only the second Bluegrass act to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Song Highlights “Little Cabin Home On The Hill” Bill Monroe (w/ Flatt & Scruggs), 1947 • Porter Wagoner, 1965 • Lester Flatt, 1970 • John Hartford, 1976 • Osborne Brothers, 1978 • Ricky Skaggs, 1979 • Johnnie & Jack, 1980 • Jim & Jesse, 1997 • Elvis Presley, 2006 “I’m Going To Make Heaven My Home” - Flatt & Scruggs, 1948 “My Cabin In Caroline” Flatt & Scruggs, 1948 • Lester Flatt, 1963 • Lester Flatt, 1968 • Bill Monroe, 1977 • Osborne Brothers, 1992 “Sweetheart, You Done Me Wrong” Bill Monroe (w/ Flatt & Scruggs), 1948 (#11) • Del McCoury, 1968 • Peter Rowan, 1985 • Elvis Presley, 1990 • Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, 1999 “My Little Girl In Tennessee” Flatt & Scruggs, 1949 • Flatt & Scruggs, 1968 • Osborne Brothers, 1968 • Lou Reid, 1994 “When You Are Lonely” Bill Monroe (w/ Flatt & Scruggs), 1949 (#12) • Lester Flatt, 1973 • Osborne Brothers, 1978 • Peter Rowan, 1985 “(I’m) Head Over Heels In Love With You” Flatt & Scruggs, 1950 • Don Gibson, 1963 (#12) • Porter Wagoner, 1963 • Skeeter Davis, 1968 “Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms” * Flatt & Scruggs, 1950 • Stanley Brothers, 1960 • Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, 1961 • Rose Maddox, 1962 • Flatt & Scruggs, 1963 • George Jones, 1964 • Flatt & Scruggs, 1968 • Buck Owens, 1971 • Bill Monroe, 1973 • Hank Wilson (Leon Russell), 1973 (#57 Country / #78 Pop) • Flying Burrito Brothers, 1974 • Jerry Reed, 1974 • Conway Twitty, 1975 • Willie Nelson, 1978 • Jack Greene, 1979 • Earl Scruggs, 1982 • Del McCoury, 1968 • Doc Watson, 1967 • Jimmy Martin, 1989 • Ralph Stanley, 1995 • Jerry Lee Lewis, 1999 • Ricky Skaggs, 2001 • Roy Clark, 2005 • Dolly Parton, 2007 * Note: Though many claim authorship of this public domain song (essentially as arrangers), Flatt & Scruggs popularized it, are most associated with it and arguably have the biggest “claim” to it. “Flint Hill Special” Flatt & Scruggs, 1952 • Earl Scruggs, 1957 • Lilly Brothers, 1965 • Benny Martin, 1976 • Bill Emerson, 1996 • Banjomania, 1997 • David Grisman, 1999 • Raymond Fairchild, 2002 “Foggy Mountain Chimes” Flatt & Scruggs, 1953 • Josh Graves, 1974 • David Grisman, 1982 • Herb Pedersen, 1988 • Larry Stephenson, 1995 • James Alan Shelton, 1999 “Don’t This Road Look Rough And Rocky” Flatt & Scruggs, 1954 • Blue Sky Boys, 1976 • Porter Wagoner, 1977 • Seldom Scene, 1985 • Jonathan Edwards, 1997 • Country Gentlemen, 2007 “Blue Ridge Cabin Home” Flatt & Scruggs, 1955 • Country Gentlemen, 1971 • Seldom Scene, 1991 • Larry Sparks, 1992 • David Grisman, 1999 • Osborne Brothers, 2002 “Earl’s Breakdown” Flatt & Scruggs, 1957 • Flatt & Scruggs, 1960 • Eric Weissberg, 1963 • Gary Scruggs, 1970 • Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, 1972 • Carl Jackson, 1970 • Roy Clark, 1978 • Josh Graves, 1982 • Livingston Taylor, 2006 “Down The Road” Flatt & Scruggs, 1958 • Lester Flatt, 1970 • Marty Stuart, 1982 • Dan Fogelberg, 1985 (#33 - as “Down The Road Mountain Pass”) • Doc Watson, 1998 “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” Flatt & Scruggs, 1958 • Flatt & Scruggs, 1960 • Flatt & Scruggs, 1963 • Flatt & Scruggs, 1966 • Flatt & Scruggs, 1968 (#55 Pop / #58 Country) -- featured in the 1967 film Bonnie And Clyde • Doug Dillard, 1969 • Hank Williams Jr. , 1969 • Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, 1969 • Country Gentlemen, 1970 • Roy Clark, 1972 • Flying Burrito Brothers, 1974 • Benny Martin, 1976 • J.D. Crowe, 1982 • Tom T. Hall, 1983 • Carl Jackson, 1983 • Jimmy Martin, 1988 • Statler Brothers, 1989 • Stray Cats, 1992 • Wynn Osborne, 1995 • Bryan Setzer, 1998 • Lynn Anderson, 2005 “God Loves His Children” Flatt & Scruggs, 1958 • Skeeter Davis, 1968 • Bernie Leadon, 1991 • Lou Reid, 1996 “We’ll Meet Again Sweetheart” Flatt & Scruggs, 1958 • J.D. Crowe, 1968 • Doc Watson, 1986 • Jim McReynolds, 1991 • Jimmy Martin, 2001 • Osborne Brothers, 2003 “Cabin In The Hills” - Flatt & Scruggs, 1959 (#9) “Come Back Darling” - Flatt & Scruggs, 1959 “Don’t Get Above Your Raisin’” Flatt & Scruggs, 1959 • Ricky Skaggs, 1981 (#16) “I’m Gonna Sleep With One Eye Open” Flatt & Scruggs, 1959 • Hot Rize, 1982 • Dolly Parton, 1999 “Be Ready For Tomorrow May Never Come” - Flatt & Scruggs, 1960 “Crying My Heart Out Over You” Flatt & Scruggs, 1960 (#21) • Ricky Skaggs, 1982 (#1) • Jeannie C. Riley, 1986 • Daniel O’Donnell, 2002 “I’m Working On A Road To Gloryland” - Flatt & Scruggs, 1960 “I’ll Never Shed Another Tear” Flatt & Scruggs, 1960 • Osborne Brothers, 1968 “The Legend Of The Johnson Boys” - Flatt & Scruggs, 1962 (#27) “Bouquet In Heaven” Flatt & Scruggs, 1963 • Flatt & Scruggs, 1968 • J.D. Crowe, 1987 • J.D. Crowe & The New South, 1994 “No Mother Or Dad” Flatt & Scruggs, 1963 • Flatt & Scruggs, 1968 • J.D. Crowe, 1969 • Osborne Brothers, 1978 “Gonna Have Myself A Ball” - Flatt & Scruggs, 1964 “My Saro Jane” Flatt & Scruggs, 1964 (#40) • The Grascals, 2005 “Get In Line, Brother” Flatt & Scruggs, 1965 • Marty Stuart, 1982 “Why Did You Wander” Flatt & Scruggs, 1965 • Ricky Skaggs, 2003