Ricky Skaggs
Ricky Skaggs (born July 18, 1954 in Cordell , Kentucky ) is an American country and bluegrass musician.
biography
Beginnings
Since he started playing the mandolin at the age of five , Skaggs has been considered a musical prodigy. At a Bill Monroe concert, the six-year-old was encouraged by heckling from the audience to appear next to the big star. A year later, he first appeared on a television show. Gradually he learned other instruments. To enable him to perform in public, his parents formed a family band, the Skaggs Family .
Although he was briefly enthusiastic about the Beatles and Rolling Stones , his real love was traditional country music . He was particularly drawn to bluegrass . His role models were Bill Monroe, Buck Owens , Ralph Stanley and George Jones . In a talent competition he met like-minded Keith Whitley . The two worked together from then on. In 1970 they got the opportunity to step in for the late Ralph Stanley at a concert. The big star was impressed by their performance and hired fifteen-year-old Skaggs for his bluegrass group, the Clinch Mountain Boys .
Career
Skaggs stayed with Ralph Stanley for two years. In 1973 he hired the renowned country gentlemen . Here, too, he stayed for about two years. Meanwhile, his old companion Keith Whitley had made a career. With him he played two duet albums. After a brief stint with the bluegrass formation JDCrowe and the New South , he founded his own band, Boone Creek , in 1976 .
Emmylou Harris became aware of the talented young musician and tried repeatedly to win him over to her backing band. It wasn't until 1977, after Rodney Crowell left , that Skaggs agreed. Skaggs soon exerted a strong influence on Harris, whose music was clearly oriented towards bluegrass.
In 1980 Skaggs recorded a bluegrass album on a small label. His reputation in the country scene was now so solid that the renowned Epic label offered him a contract in 1981 that gave him the greatest possible musical freedom. Contrary to the prevailing trend, he recorded Waitin 'For The Sun To Shine, an album that was strongly oriented towards traditional country. And contrary to expectations, he was successful. The album sold over 500,000 copies and was gold-plated. Two singles reached number 1 on the country charts. Ricky Skaggs was named the prestigious CMA Country Singer of the Year Award in 1982. In the same year he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry .
Neo-Traditionalism in Country Music
In the early 1980s, Skaggs was one of the triggers for a general return to the original values of country music and one of the first New Traditionalists . Its success continued through the 1980s. In 1985, for example, he took first place with the old Bill Monroe song Uncle Pen . Numerous prizes and awards, including nine Grammys , were recognition of his performance.
In 1991 he teamed up with rising stars Vince Gill and Steve Wariner to form the Nashville Cats . Two years later he started his own radio show called 'Simple Life', which was so popular that it was adopted by more than 400 stations, including some European ones. From the mid-1990s, sales of his records dropped significantly.
Discography
Solo albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US
|
Country
|
|||
| 1981 | Waitin 'for the Sun to Shine |
US77  (30 weeks)US |
Country2 (149 weeks) Country |
|
| 1982 | Family & Friends | - |
Country52 (14 weeks) Country |
|
| Highways & Heartaches |
US61  (12 weeks)US |
Country1 (89 weeks) Country |
||
| 1983 | Don't Cheat in Our Hometown |
US- |
Country1 (73 weeks) Country |
|
| 1984 | Country boy |
US180 (5 weeks)US |
Country1 (59 weeks) Country |
|
| 1986 | Love's Gonna Get Ya! | - |
Country3 (48 weeks) Country |
|
| 1988 | Comin 'home to stay | - |
Country12 (63 weeks) Country |
|
| 1989 | Kentucky Thunder | - |
Country18 (48 weeks) Country |
|
| 1991 | My Father's Son | - |
Country68 (5 weeks) Country |
|
| 1995 | Solid ground | - |
Country72 (1 week) Country |
|
| 2000 | Solo (Songs My Dad Loved) | - |
Country39 (4 weeks) Country |
|
| 2010 | Mosaic | - |
Country50 (6 weeks) Country |
|
| 2011 | Country hits bluegrass style | - |
Country51 (2 weeks) Country |
|
more publishments
- 1975: That's It!
- 1979: Sweet Temptation
- 1997: Life Is a Journey
Christmas albums
- 2005: A Skaggs Family Christmas: Volume One
- 2011: A Skaggs Family Christmas: Volume Two
Collaboration albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US
|
Country
|
|||
| 1997 | Bluegrass Rules! | - |
Country45 (19 weeks) Country |
with Kentucky Thunder
|
| 1999 | Ancient tones | - |
Country46 (11 weeks) Country |
with Kentucky Thunder
|
| Soldier of the Cross | - |
Country65 (3 weeks) Country |
with Kentucky Thunder
|
|
| 2000 | Big Mon: The Songs of Bill Monroe | - |
Country42 (9 weeks) Country |
with various artists
|
| 2001 | History of the Future | - |
Country35 (18 weeks) Country |
with Kentucky Thunder
|
| 2002 | Ricky Skaggs and Friends Sing the Songs of Bill Monroe |
- |
Country36 (12 weeks) Country |
with various artists
|
| 2003 | The Three Pickers |
US179 (4 weeks) US |
Country24 (16 weeks) Country |
with Earl Scruggs & Doc Watson
|
| 2004 | Brand New Strings | - |
Country60 (5 weeks) Country |
with Kentucky Thunder
|
| 2006 | Instrumentals | - |
Country73 (1 week) Country |
with Kentucky Thunder
|
| 2007 | Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby | - |
Country37 (7 weeks) Country |
with Bruce Hornsby
|
| Salt of the Earth | - |
Country45 (1 week) Country |
with The Whites
|
|
| 2008 | Honoring the Fathers of Bluegrass: Tribute to 1946 and 1947 |
US191 (1 week) US |
Country29 (4 weeks) Country |
with Kentucky Thunder
|
| 2012 | Music to My Ears | - |
Country52 (1 week) Country |
with Kentucky Thunder
|
more publishments
- 1971: Second Generation Bluegrass (with Keith Whitley )
- 1977: That Down Home Feeling (with Buck White & The Down Home Folks)
- 1978: One Way Track (with Boone Creek)
- 1980: Skaggs & Rice (with Tony Rice )
- 2014: Hearts Like Ours (with Sharon White)
Live albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US
|
Country
|
|||
| 1985 | Live in London |
US- |
Country1 (50 weeks) Country |
|
| 2003 | Live at the Charleston Music Hall | - |
Country32 (19 weeks) Country |
with Kentucky Thunder
|
| 2013 | Cluck Ol 'Hen | - |
Country38 (3 weeks) Country |
with Bruce Hornsby
|
Compilations
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US
|
Country
|
|||
| 1985 | Favorite Country Songs |
US181 (4 weeks) US |
Country24 (17 weeks) Country |
|
more publishments
- 1987: Personal Choice
- 1993: great hits
- 1995: Country Pride
- 1998: Country Gentleman: The Best of Ricky Skaggs
- 2000: 16 biggest hits
- 2003: The Essential Ricky Skaggs
Singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US
|
Country
|
|||
| 1979 | I'll take the blame sweet temptation |
- |
Country86 (4 weeks) Country |
|
| 1981 | Don't Get Above Your Raisin Waitin 'for the Sun to Shine |
- |
Country16 (16 weeks) Country |
|
| You May See Me Walkin ' Waitin' for the Sun to Shine |
- |
Country9 (17 weeks) Country |
||
| Crying My Heart Out Over You Waitin 'for the Sun to Shine |
- |
Country1 (23 weeks) Country |
||
| 1982 | I Don't Care Waitin 'for the Sun to Shine |
- |
Country1 (18 weeks) Country |
|
| Heartbroke Highways and Heartaches |
- |
Country1 (17 weeks) Country |
||
| I Wouldn't Change You If I Could Highways and Heartaches |
- |
Country1 (20 weeks) Country |
||
| 1983 | Highway 40 Blues Highways and Heartaches |
- |
Country1 (19 weeks) Country |
|
| You've Got a Lover Highways and Heartaches |
- |
Country2 (19 weeks) Country |
||
| Don't Cheat in Our Hometown Don't Cheat in Our Hometown |
- |
Country2 (20 weeks) Country |
||
| 1984 | Honey (Open That Door) Don't Cheat in Our Hometown |
- |
Country1 (18 weeks) Country |
|
| Uncle Pen Don't Cheat in Our Hometown |
- |
Country1 (19 weeks) Country |
||
| Something in My Heart Country Boy |
- |
Country2 (22 weeks) Country |
||
| 1985 | Country Boy Country Boy |
- |
Country1 (19 weeks) Country |
|
| You Make Me Feel Like a Man Live in London |
- |
Country7 (23 weeks) Country |
||
| 1986 | Cajun Moon Live in London |
- |
Country1 (20 weeks) Country |
|
| I've Got a New Heartache Live in London |
- |
Country10 (18 weeks) Country |
||
| Love's Gonna Get You Someday Love’s Gonna Get Ya! |
- |
Country4 (20 weeks) Country |
||
| 1987 | I Wonder If I Care as Much Love’s Gonna Get Ya! |
- |
Country30 (11 weeks) Country |
|
| Love Can't Ever Get Better Than This Love’s Gonna Get Ya! |
- |
Country10 (23 weeks) Country |
with Sharon White
|
|
| I'm Tired Comin 'Home to Stay |
- |
Country18 (20 weeks) Country |
||
| 1988 | (Angel on My Mind) That's Why I'm Walkin ' Comin' Home to Stay |
- |
Country33 (13 weeks) Country |
|
| Thanks Again Comin 'Home to Stay |
- |
Country17 (16 weeks) Country |
||
| Old Kind of Love Comin 'Home to Stay |
- |
Country30 (15 weeks) Country |
||
| 1989 | Lovin 'Only Me Kentucky Thunder |
- |
Country1 (21 weeks) Country |
|
| Let It Be You Kentucky Thunder |
- |
Country5 (26 weeks) Country |
||
| Heartbreak Hurricane Kentucky Thunder |
- |
Country13 (26 weeks) Country |
||
| 1990 | Hummingbird Kentucky Thunder |
- |
Country20 (16 weeks) Country |
|
| He Was On to Somethin '(So He Made You) Kentucky Thunder |
- |
Country25 (20 weeks) Country |
||
| 1991 | Life's Too Long (To Live Like This) My Father's Son |
- |
Country37 (18 weeks) Country |
|
| Same Ol 'Love My Father's Son |
- |
Country12 (20 weeks) Country |
||
| 1992 | From the Word Love My Father's Son |
- |
Country43 (10 weeks) Country |
|
| 1995 | Solid Ground Solid Ground |
- |
Country57 (14 weeks) Country |
|
| 1996 | Cat's in the Cradle Solid Ground |
- |
Country45 (11 weeks) Country |
|
| 2002 | Halfway Home Cafe History of the Future |
- |
Country56 (1 week) Country |
|
more publishments
- 1996: Back Where We Belong
- 1996: When
- 2003: A Simple Life
- 2004: Spread a Little Love Around
- 2005: Enjoy the Ride
- 2010: Someday Soon
- 2014: Forever's Not Long Enough (with Sharon White)
Guest Posts
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US
|
Country
|
|||
| 1991 | Restless The New Nashville Cats |
- |
Country25 (20 weeks) Country |
|
| 1998 | Same Old Train Tribute to Tradition |
- |
Country59 (... weeks) Country |
with various artists
|
Awards for music sales
|
|
| Country / Region |
gold |
platinum
|
Sales | swell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards for music sales (country / region, awards, sales, sources) |
||||
 Canada (MC)
|
gold1
|
3 × platinum3
|
350,000 | musiccanada.com |
|
United States (RIAA)
|
4 × gold4th
|
platinum1
|
3,000,000 | riaa.com |
| All in all |
5 × gold5
|
4 × platinum4th
|
||
swell
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Skaggs, Ricky |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American country and bluegrass musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 18, 1954 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Cordell , Kentucky |