Louise Scruggs: The Woman Behind The Banjo Man

Louise Scruggs: The Woman Behind The Banjo Man

By John Hood

Earl and Louise Scruggs had a business relationship that lasted a half century and - more importantly - a love affair that lasted a lifetime. It's a partnership that blossomed into one of the most creative, fruitful artist/manager relationships the music industry has ever seen.

In fact, Louise played such a pivotal role in her husband's career that the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum made her an integral part of its "Banjo Man: The Musical Journey of Earl Scruggs" exhibit, which opened in March 2005 and continued through June 2006.

As the exhibit traced Earl's musical journey, it also chronicled Louise's impact on his career, which began when she took over booking for the legendary Flatt & Scruggs in 1955.

"He was getting ready to leave one day," said Louise of her almost accidental entry into the music business. "He was in a hurry. He had a name on a notepad and said 'Here's a guy in Virginia. Could you give him a call and see if you can set this date up?' So I took the name and called the guy and booked the date. When he came back home that night, I said, 'I got that date for you. Do you have any more calls you want me to make?' He said, 'Yeah, I have.'"

So began a historic partnership and a perfect match: Earl was a musical visionary, and Louise was a visionary in marketing her husband's music.

"She's the best manager I've ever witnessed," Earl said. "She's not hard to get along with, but she likes to see things taken care of. That's what it's all about with her - taking care of business."

Louise did more than take care of business; she created new opportunities for her husband. She helped develop and nurture the Martha White sponsorship that gave Scruggs and partner Lester Flatt a national audience, and recognized the late 1950s folk movement as an opportunity to take her husband's music to a completely new demographic.

"She was promoting Flatt & Scruggs way beyond the bluegrass and traditional Country audience," said Mick Buck, Curator of Collections for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. "When the folk music boom of the late '50s and early '60s hit, a lot of the college kids really responded to Flatt & Scruggs music, especially Earl's banjo playing. They heard his banjo playing as a connection to older, more traditional forms of music. Louise was aware of that, and was instrumental in booking Earl as solo act at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival."

Louise also had keen instincts. For instance, she overcame her initial hesitation when Flatt & Scruggs were approached to do the theme music for the 1960s "The Beverly Hillbillies" TV series.

"I turned them down when they first approached me about doing the theme music because of the word hillbilly," she said. "I'd seen movies where they portrayed Southerners as illiterate, with a thick accent that I hated. Mr. (Paul) Henning, who wrote and directed the show, said that if I was that concerned, he'd send the pilot out and let me see it. So he did. We saw it and thought that it looked pretty good."

The duo's musical contribution to the show worked out so well that Louise saw a natural next step. "I thought it just might make a killer record," she said. "I called Don Law, their producer, and he thought it was a good idea too." The result was a Country smash, "The Ballad of Jed Clampett."

D.J. McLachlan, who has helped Louise guide Earl's career for almost 30 years, said he believes the Scruggs have been so successful because they are cut from the same cloth.

"He's an ultimate creator and so is she," said McLachlan. "He creates and explores, and she finds and shares new ideas of where his music can go. She always thought that he was an international star, and that his music would cross lines and borders. When other bluegrass bands were worrying about which high school auditorium they were going to play next, Louise was planning on getting her husband into Carnegie Hall."

The partnership forged by the Scruggs has not only kept his career relevant for more than 50 years, it's also been remarkably free from conflict.

"He's not difficult to work with," said Louise with a grin. "Seeing Earl accepted by the public has been the most rewarding thing about my career. Everybody loves him. His fans appreciate him so much. He enjoys it too. That's great to see."

"We've had a love affair that's lasted and grown into more than it was when we first married," added Earl.

On the Web: www.earlscruggs.com

July 25, 2006

Photo: courtesy of the Scruggs Family