Biography

Had two sons with Louise Scruggs: Gary Scruggs and Randy Scruggs. They also had a third son, Steve, who killed his wife, Elizabeth, with a pistol, then himself on September 23, 1992. He was their youngest child.

Earl invented what was to become known as "Scruggs tuners" allowing a quick dropping of the two middle strings from standard to "D" tuning. Originally, they were an extra pair of tuning pegs with cams pushing against the strings with adjustable set screws. This required drilling two extra holes in the peg head. Working with fellow banjo player Bill Kieth they were refined to geared units that simply replaced the two middle tuning pegs. Earl sometimes raised and lowered the strings as he picked them most notably in "Flint Hill Special" and "Earl's Breakdown".

With Lester Flatt, member of the Foggy Mountain Boys, 1948-1969.

As a member of Flatt & Scruggs, inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame (1985).

His wife, Louise Scruggs, who guided her husband's career for more than a half century, was the first female to become an artist booking agent in Nashville.