Thursday, March 29, 2012

R.I.P. Earl Scruggs

The first concert I ever went to other than orchestra or symphony and that sort of thing was Earl Scruggs. My old man took me to it, and it left a pretty big impression on me. My old man used to play the old time music on the banjo and I backed him up on mandolin and later guitar. I played sister's classical guitar actually as it was the only guitar we had in the house. Even though she had that guitar she never learned to play and I think Dad must have forced her to let me use it. I recently bought it from her after all of these years since it was the first guitar I ever played, I missed it.

Even though I ended up going in different musical directions after that, when I hear Earl Scruggs I always think of my old man and going to that concert. I remember it like it was yesterday.
Here's an old pic of me playing my sister's guitar with my old man. Um.. Don't mind the hair..

8 comments:

Jules said...

Aww, this is a really lovely memory. I love that photo of you and your dad, too. How old are you there?

RIP Earl.

don said...

I was at that awkward age..

Jules said...

With the risk of sounding wrong here (or at all cougarish)... I think you're cute there.

don said...

I looked ok when my parents were in charge of my clothes and hair, but when I took over things really went south..

Quiet Paths said...

You know how unique it was to be in a family where people actually played music together...? At least that's what we get told. That is a great photo.

don said...

When I was a kid I realized not eveyone was into music like we were.

I'd go to someone's house and if they didn't have a piano, I remember thinking how empty their house seemed. Like how can they manage without a piano..?

Quiet Paths said...

Yes, I do understand that completely. Do you play piano too? Your Mom? I have this old pump organ (in addition to a piano) that my dad rebuilt. It's a working organ and takes up too much room in our small house but I couldn't part with it..

don said...

I used to play piano but not very well. I took lessons for a couple of years when I was small then I played violin in orchestra, (also not very well)... probably because I didn't enjoy it. But then I started to play guitar and joined a band. I had fun with that.

My Mom was a music student and later sang in the symphony choral.
She also has and an old pump organ at the lake that was handed down. She plays hymns on it.

So my mom was my classical influence and my Dad my old time/ country influence. Whatever you'd call that. My Mom hated the rock and roll but I think my Dad liked the whole idea of me playing in a group and doing my own thing because he bought me my first amplifier. After that I was on my own.