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United States Ricky Skaggs, alongside his band Kentucky Thunder, has built a distinguished career bridging traditional bluegrass with mainstream country music, earning numerous awards and cementing his legacy as a prominent musician and advocate for traditional country sounds.
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Request A ShowRicky Skaggs established his own label, Skaggs Family Records, which has released recordings by acts including the Del McCoury Band, the Whites, Blue Highway, Mountain Heart, and Cherryholmes. Skaggs has also produced some of these artists.
Ricky Skaggs launched his own career in 1980, debuting on Epic Records with the album 'Waitin for the Sun to Shine'. This album brought him to both the country and pop charts and produced two number-one hits.
Ricky Skaggs partnered with Rounder Records for albums with Boone Creek in 1977 and later for the distribution of his Skaggs Family Records album 'Bluegrass Rules!' in 1997.
Ricky Skaggs released albums with Boone Creek for Sugar Hill Records in 1978 and also released solo collections for the label.
Ricky Skaggs released solo collections for Rebel Records during his early career.
Ricky Skaggs moved to Atlantic Records for his 1995 album 'Solid Ground'.
Ricky Skaggs became the performing MC of a popular television program on TNN, taped live onstage at the Ryman Auditorium.
Ricky Skaggs was voted Artist of the Decade in the Listeners' Poll Award by BBC Radio 2, highlighting his international appeal and impact.
Ricky Skaggs was ranked No. 37 in CMT's '40 Greatest Men of Country Music' in 2003, recognizing his significant standing in the genre.
Ricky Skaggs had a featured role alongside Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson in the 2003 PBS special 'The Three Pickers: Legends of American Music' and was performing host of the 2002 PBS special 'All Star Bluegrass Celebration'.
Ricky Skaggs is listed as an artist partner with L.R. Baggs, a company specializing in acoustic amplification, indicating his use or endorsement of their products.
Rickie Lee Skaggs, born on July 18, 1954, in Cordell, Kentucky, began his musical journey at an early age, receiving a mandolin from his father at five. By age six, he was performing on stage with bluegrass legend Bill Monroe, and at seven, he appeared on television with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. In his mid-teens, Skaggs formed a musical partnership with fellow Kentuckian Keith Whitley, and by 1970, they joined Ralph Stanley’s Clinch Mountain Boys. Skaggs’s early career also included stints with The Country Gentlemen and J. D. Crowe’s New South. In 1976, he founded Boone Creek and later contributed his talents to Emmylou Harris’s Hot Band, arranging her 1980 bluegrass-roots album, *Roses in the Snow*, and performing as a harmony vocalist, mandolin, and fiddle player.
Skaggs launched his solo career in 1980, signing with Epic Records. His debut album, *Waitin’ for the Sun to Shine* (1981), produced two number-one hits and marked his entry into both country and pop charts. He quickly gained recognition, becoming the youngest musician at the time to be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1982. Throughout the 1980s, Skaggs achieved 12 number-one hits, 8 CMA awards, and eight Academy of Country Music awards, with albums like *Highways & Heartaches* (1982) and *Country Boy* (1984) attaining significant success. His influence extended to producing, notably Dolly Parton’s 1990 album *White Limozeen*, which aided her comeback in country music. Skaggs also collaborated with Vince Gill on “Go Rest High on That Mountain” in 1995, a track that later received CMA’s Song of the Year award.
In 1996, Skaggs returned to his bluegrass roots, forming Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder. This collaboration led to sustained success, with the band becoming perennial winners of Grammy Awards and International Bluegrass Music Association accolades for best bluegrass album. Skaggs established Skaggs Family Records in 1997, providing a platform for bluegrass and roots-oriented artists. His commitment to traditional sounds positioned him as a leading advocate for the genre. In 2018, Skaggs was inducted into both the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum and the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, followed by the Country Music Hall of Fame in the same year. In 2021, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Donald Trump, recognizing his significant contributions to American music.
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