Ricky Skaggs to Be Inducted Into Country Music Hall of Fame

popculture.com ^ | 10/21/2018 | Olivia Rowe

[tang-soo]

Congratulations to my first cousin, Ricky Skaggs who will be inducted into the Country Musc Hall of Fame this evening in Nashville, Tennessee. ...

"I was totally shocked, and I burst into tears when I heard that I was gonna be the newest inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame," Skaggs said, according to his website. "When I came to Nashville in 1980, I came to play music and hopefully get a record deal. All of that happened, but I never dreamed that I'd ever be a member of this hallowed Hall. Why me, and why now was going through my mind."

The rest of the article is here
Ricky Skaggs to Be Inducted Into Country Music Hall of Fame

[Clint N. Suhks]

oops

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98jNS8MmEqw&list=PLQ4f6jJiJv7060clAGIFvRIQw5kJS6d13

[tang-soo]

I love his “Highway 40 blues

That's one of my favorites. When Ricky was probably 13-14 years old, he and his family lived in West Jefferson, Ohio which is a small town and 10 miles west of Columbus, Ohio. US Highway 40 is Broad Street in Columbus and Main Street in West Jefferson. I've wondered before if that was his inspiration for the song/album. I will have to ask him when my wife and I take my mom to see him in December. By the way, the song was written by his friend Larry Cordle who also spent some time in Columbus. It's possible the highway was his inspiration. I just looked it up and yes, Larry's family spent 11 years in Columbus, so he also has ties to this area.

[bleach]

That stretch of 23 has been designated as the Country Music highway. From Pikeville, Louisa, Ashland and South Shore. Among the stars born near there: Loretta Lynn, Crystal Gayle, the Judds, Billy Ray Cyrus, Tom T. Hall, Ricky Skaggs, Keith Whitley, Dwight Yoakam, and Patty Loveless. There are some good picker back there.

[tang-soo]

Nice! That was pretty awesome!

[tang-soo]

Thanks for posting that response. Lots of talent with that group! I didn’t know about Tom T. Hall.

[SamAdams76]

Ricky Skaggs was likely the one that got me into country music. I was in the Marines in 1982 and my roommate played that "Highways and Heartaches" album over and over again.

Ricky had quite a run during the early 1980s and as you point out, he's been actively performing his entire life. He definitely is long overdue for the Country Music HOF.

[tang-soo]

Ricky had quite a run during the early 1980s and as you point out, he's been actively performing his entire life. He definitely is long overdue for the Country Music HOF.

Thank you Sam.

[Oklahoma]

I first saw and heard Ricky Skaggs around 1970 when he played at Grant’s Bluegrass Festival at Hugo, Oklahoma. I’m not sure if he and Keith Whitley had their own act then or played with Ralph Stanley who was also at the festival. A year or two or so later Whitley had his own band and Skaggs was playing with The Country Gentlemen along with Jerry “Flux Douglas.” Skaggs is more than a great musician. In his younger days he had a finely developed “wise cracking” wit which worked well with Waller, Emerson and Yates.

Buck White and the Down Home Folks played at the first Grant Festival in 1969 and for several years after that. That first year I think they lived at Fort Smith, Arkansas but were located at Wichita Falls, Texas after that.

[bleach]

Tom T. is from Olive Hill, Carter County. Not exactly on 23 but close enough he’s in the museum in Paintsville. This mentions a few a I left off.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._23_Country_Music_Highway_Museum

[tang-soo]

Wow, Oklahoma, you know more about that time period than I do. What a memory. :)

[vetvetdoug]

Read how George Strait held back his release of “Heartbroke” so Ricky Scaggs could have a go with it first. Country has many with honor and a sense of respect.

[tang-soo]

I’ll check that out. Thank you.

[Clint N. Suhks]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XV7mxfIIr0

[tang-soo]

Thank you for that!

[trebb]

He supported Trump and the pro-life movement and loves God - are sure they aren't indicting him instead of inducting him?

Sorry - CMA and others have gone over the edge and I coiuldn't help myself...

Congrats Ricky Skaggs!

[trebb]

Spoken like someone who contributes nothing but hot air and still thinks his words have any value....

[Hot Tabasco]

I know nothing about country or blue grass so I learn something new here every day.....

Loved that Patty Loveless........

[yldstrk]

Why would someone who was in the Air Force for 24 years and then in the federal government say something so without foundation?

[buckalfa]

I worked at the hospital in Louisa for ten years. Good people in the area for sure. Just a shame Louisa really never has had jobs to keep the young folks in the area.

[tang-soo]

Thanks Trebb. Yes, all the nice things you said about Ricky are true :)