The Glenville State College Bluegrass Band will perform a tribute to The Flatt and Scruggs Show on Friday October 25, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. in the GSC Fine Arts Center Auditorium. Tickets are $5.50 for adults and $5.00 for children ages 6-11.
Megan Darby, Director of GSC’s Bluegrass Music Degree Program, the world’s first such Bachelor of Arts Degree, says, “It is important to honor those musicians that are significant to creating the traditional bluegrass sound. After the recent passing of the legendary Earl Scruggs, I decided it was time to honor him along with his playing partner, Lester Flatt. I called my friend Danny Clark, who books the bus, and asked what the chances of getting the Martha White Bluegrass Bus to Glenville in conjunction with the concert. He was so excited—and so are we! This will be the very first time that the bus has been to West Virginia, so be sure to come out and take advantage of this free, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”
Bus owners Don and Danny Clark will tell the special story of its purchase and purpose between two 45-minute musical sets.
“Having experienced seeing the Martha White Bus when it carried Flatt & Scruggs to their show dates throughout West Virginia in the 1950s and 60s,” added Buddy Griffin, who was instrumental in creating the Bluegrass Degree at GSC, “I know first-hand the cultural impact that can be realized at an opportunity such as this. Josh Graves, Flatt & Scruggs’ Dobro player, said to me once that people would line up along their concert route just to see that bus and wave to them as they went by! Simply thrilling for ‘Hot-Rize’ biscuit eaters and banjo enthusiasts, alike!”
Prior to the concert, from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., tours will be given of the historic ‘Rolling Bus Museum’ just outside the GSC Fine Arts Center entrance. Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, along with the Foggy Mountain Boys, toured in the bus from 1948 until the band broke up in 1969. The bus is a hands-on interactive exhibition that allows children and adults to see hundreds of autographed photos and vintage clothing from country stars such as Ralph Stanley, Jimmy Martin, and Johnny Cash, to name but a few. A rich and diverse collection of musical memorabilia dating back to the 1930’s is also part of the sensational display.
Initially, the Flatt and Scruggs band was formed by Flatt who had previously played with Bill Monroe. With Flatt’s rhythm guitar, Scruggs’ unique banjo leads, and their combined vocal strength, the Foggy Mountain boys steadily gained popularity and over time arguably became the most famous bluegrass band of all time. In 1955, Flatt and Scruggs became regular members of the Grand Ole Opry.
Later in 1963, Flatt and Scruggs played ‘The Ballad of Jed Clampett,’ in the TV sitcom, ‘The Beverly Hillbillies.’ The show’s theme song became the first bluegrass song to reach number one in the country charts and only one other has made it to the top in the past fifty years. In 1967 their music was the background for the movie ‘Bonnie and Clyde,’ and more recently, as a fitting tribute to their contribution to all music, the band formed by the heroes in the hit film ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou’ called their group the ‘Soggy Bottom Boys.’ Flatt and Scruggs were elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1985.
The live broadcast of the show will be courtesy of the Wheeling Jamboree and aired by GSC Radio Station (WGSC), WDNE 98.9 FM (Elkins/Buckhannon, WV), WKNA 98.3 FM (Logan/Lancaster, OH), WELD 101.7 FM (Moorefield, WV-PA-MD), WFDU 89.1 FM (Teaneck, NJ), WCEF 98.3 FM (Ripley, WV), WYCL 1450 AM (Youngstown/Warren, OH), WKKW 97.9 AM (Fairmont/Morgantown, WV), WSVA 800 AM (Crewe-Richmond, VA), WYHY 1080 AM (Cannonsburg, KY/Huntington, WV), WMPA 1390 AM (Middleport-Pomeroy, OH), WLGN 1510 AM (Logan, OH), and W1010 AM (Portsmouth, OH-KY). The show will also be streaming on the worldwide web at WWW.WWVA.TV and WWW.GLENVILLE.EDU
Bus Posters, t-shirts and CDs, including Bluegrass 2012, Glenville State College Bluegrass Band CD, featuring students, alumni, directors, and special guests will be on sale, along with Megan Darby’s CD.
For tickets, contact Sheri Skidmore in the Fine Arts Department at Sheri.Skidmore@Glenville.edu or (304) 462-6340.
