Earl Eugene Scruggs, born on January 6, 1924, in Flint Hill, North Carolina, was an influential American musician renowned for revolutionizing the banjo's role in bluegrass music. Growing up in a musical family, Scruggs began playing the banjo at age four, inspired by his father’s frailing style. By his teens, he had developed a distinctive three-finger picking technique known as the "Scruggs style," which became a hallmark of bluegrass music.

In December 1945, Scruggs joined Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys, performing on the Grand Ole Opry and helping to define the bluegrass genre. In 1948, he and fellow band member Lester Flatt left to form the Foggy Mountain Boys, also known as Flatt & Scruggs. The duo became one of the most successful acts in country music, with hits like "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" and "The Ballad of Jed Clampett," the latter serving as the theme for the TV show The Beverly Hillbillies.

After parting ways with Flatt in 1969, Scruggs formed the Earl Scruggs Revue with his sons, blending bluegrass with country-rock influences. Throughout his career, Scruggs collaborated with numerous artists across genres, including Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash.

Scruggs received multiple accolades, including four Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and the National Medal of Arts. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. His legacy is celebrated through the Earl Scruggs Center in North Carolina and the Earl Scruggs Music Festival. Scruggs passed away on March 28, 2012, in Nashville, Tennessee, leaving a lasting impact on American music.