Earl Scruggs Interview

This morning I awoke for the first time in my life to a world with out an Earl Scruggs. I will try to assemble some words later, but I tried to give Earl "my flowers while he was living" and will allow you if you choose, to remember him today in his own words.
Here is a link to an interview I did with Earl on Halloween night 1989 in his home in Madison Tennessee.

http://www.banjohangout.org/myhangout/music.asp?id=14870&view=music


Scroll down the page and you will see: The Doug Hutchens and Earl Scruggs Interview Track 01 -- 15 where he talked about a variety of things and I played music before and after each segment. Somehow track 15 is so appropriate today.....
I don't think you have to be a member to listen, but if you do its free and I think you will find it worthwhile.

Earl Scruggs January 6, 1924 - March 28, 2012

...

October 28th, 1989

October 28th 1989... Bill’s words from July 27th 1971 gave me the best of both worlds.

http://doughutchens.blogspot.com/2012/03/going-to-town-with-bill-and-decison.html

The night of his 50th Anniversary on the Opry and the whole TV segment was devoted to honoring him on The Opry portion on the Nashville Network. Billy Rose was playing bass but wanted the job that Vic Jordan was leaving with Jim and Jesse. Billy had talked to Jesse earlier in the week and thought he had the job. So he was going to turn his notice into Bill that night. Tater and Blake took care of much of the band hiring etc at that time like Kenny Baker had done in the past and they ask Billy not to say anything to Bill until after the TV portion (Bill’s health was fragile at that time) of the show, knowing that it might upset Bill. I had gone down to the backstage of the Opry that night and as I came through the back door I ran into Tater he asked "Are you still interested in working with us again?" He had heard Bill and I talking a few times about me returning....and he wanted someone in the band that could drive the bus. I said sure. He told me that Billy was going to turn in his notice to Bill after the TV portion and that if I wanted the job it would make things much easier because Bill would not get as upset in loosing a band member. I walked around the corner and ran into Blake. He said "Do you know what's going on" I told him I had just talked to Tater. So I was going back and be a member of Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys. I was thrilled.

Hal Durham and Grant Turner presenting Bill with a Special Mandolin that the Grand Ole Opry had comissioned for him. It had a carving of his head on the peghead. The TV portion came off well and about the time they took their instruments in the dressing room Jimmy Campbell's wife at that time, Andrea came through the back door in a rush asking where Billy was. We looked around and he and Bill were both gone. Someone said I think he's gone to turn in his notice. She said we’ve got to catch him. Her husband Jimmy was playing fiddle with Jim & Jesse and had heard them talking as they drove up the interstate. Jim had hired Raymond McClain the day before Jesse had hired Billy with out Jesse knowing it. Jimmy knowing what Billy's plans were had called back to let him know what was happening, because if he turned in his notice Bill might not have him back. The long and the short, she caught Billy and I became probably the only guy to get the job and loose the job while never playing a single note.

Planning the first Blue Grass Boy Reunion

During the fall of 1999 James Monroe, Bill's son called and asked if I would organize a Blue Grass Boy Reunion for the Memorial Day Weekend for 2000. He wanted to start a Blue Grass Festival in Rosine Kentucky where Bill was born. I was honored, James went on to say that he knew that his Dad put a lot of trust in me and I could do it in a way that Bill would have wanted it done.

I first sent out invitations to the many individuals that I had kept in touch with since the late 70's when I started searching for all the men who had worked with the Blue Grass Boys. Over the years about 175 individuals worked for Bill Monroe on a regular basis playing music. David Deese was the first to call, then Guy Stevenson....they kept calling and dropping letters and emails. Over the next several months I got response after response…(professional musicians aren't quick to commit to a weekend of "no pay") They play music as their livelihood so making a living had to come first. This was to be a reunion of those who could and wanted to come.
Since I had arranged some birthday celebrations for Bill starting in 1982...I had seen how much fun Bill had arranging some last minute things for Kenny Bakers Birthday in June of that year(http://doughutchens.blogspot.com/2012/02/kenny-bakers-birthday-june-26th-1981.html) …I decided we need to do something special for Bills birthday. So I started in early July (for the next several years I put the information in the mail over the first weekend of July for Bill's Birthday Celebration) and we were able to pull it off as a surprise in Louisville in September just a day or two before Bill’s birthday.

I had many ideas going at the same time trying to come up with a worthy celebration for The Blue Grass Boys......
I did a lot of behind the scenes work; contacting the offices of Governor Patton of Kentucky, Governor Jim Hunt of North Carolina and Governor
Don Sundquist of Tennessee. I also contacted former President Jimmy Carter who Bill had played the White House during his term in office.

I started on a special cancellation for the Post Office in Rosine...

As I was working I kept thinking; How can we make this an event that Bill would be so proud of...there was no budget so kept digging.... finally I got an idea and contacted Willard Gayheart who is one of the greates pencil artist I've ever seen and asked if we could work it out to do a special "Commemorative Print" for the occasion.......... Willard was a big Bill Monroe fan and had known of the Birthday Celebrations I'd put together for Bill and was very willing....It was decided that he would draw it, and could sell some copies to pay for his time and I'd take care of the printing cost and I would have some to give the guys who took the time and effort to join us in Rosine. I had hopes of selling enought to take care of the printing cost to cover my investement.

But what kind of illustration would be best…..

(Fall Back in time to 1982) During the first Birthday Celebration I arranged for Bill in Louisville, Kentucky in 1982, I had hired a professional photographer, Jim Silliman, to go and capture the proceedings on film. I had no idea of why I was doing it, but it just seemed to the right thing to do. Jim shot several rolls of both black and white and slide film...(looking back I wish he had shot 10 times more than he did, but hindsight is usually 20/20). But I had this one special photo of Bill on stage that stood out ...I thought back to Arnold Banker's Shinnhopple New York festival a couple of years before. John Hartford and I had become friends and I was traveling at the time with the "Lost and Found". John came by the bus one afternoon and asked if I was on board, to which Dempsey said I think he's in the back....John came on in and I got up out of the bunk and went to the lounge area and met him....He said that he had found some things while spending some time around Rosine that I might like to see.....They were photo's of Uncle Pen, Bill Uncle who he lived with after his parents died, and the person he had learned to play music with....These were photo's that I had never seen except for one which Bill had shown me. That photo Bill had carried it around in his wallet for so many years it was difficult to see any details.... I asked John if there was a possibility I could get copies of the photos....John, in only the way he could, just grinned and said "I knew you would appreciate them....these copies are yours"... (John Hartford my friend I sure miss you)


So...we had the main photo of Bill and in what we called the "dream world" we put Uncle Pen....now the photo's; one had Uncle Pen sitting but he had a hat and its shadow was over his face...one of the others he didn't have a hat on...In one he had his dog with him, another his crutch that he had to use in his later years after being thrown by a mule...


I took all these elements and told the story........Willard took his pencil and did his magic....He created a drawing of a photo that didn't exist...I decided we would title the print after the tune Uncle Pen and it was named Blue Grass Boy Print 2000 "Late in the evening..."

Late in the evening about sundown
High on a hill and above the town
Uncle Pen played the fiddle and how it would ring
You could hear it talk, you could hear it sing.

This is the limited edition print "Late in the evening..."...

a few copies are still available at dmhutchens@aol.com....email for details


By the time we got to Rosine in late May the electricity was in the air.....
possibly too much ...as it rained all day every day for 4 days.. The Festival was a disaster.......The crowd was sparce, but those attended witnessed history.
There is a little Music Barn in the center of village of Rosine and the folks there took us under their wing..
They were gracious to let us hang out in the barn... It was kind of our unofficial meeting place, we ate our meals there, stayed out of the rain and even did some of our "Reunion" there.

Our Reunion consisted of two or three hours each day of telling stories of things that happened on the road…many were very funny.

Soon everyone was saying that someone should "write this stuff down"..(I had a friend Rob Marshall with me who taped everything). It took some time but the modest publication Howdy Folks, Howdy appeared in 2003... The cover: Howdy Folks, Howdy.....

Available from:

Janet Davis Music http://www.bluegrasscenter.com/howdy.html

and Elderly Instrument http://elderly.com/books/items/638-1.htm

...or from me at DMHutchens@aol.com

Everyone really enjoyed the gathering and looked forward to doing it again next Memorial Day Weekend (2001)

The First Blue Grass Boy Reunion

Our First Blue Grass Boy Reunion.
Memorial Day Weekend 2000
A success…..Damp! but a success. It rained hard all day long each day…
I was asked in October of 1999 to put together a Blue Grass Boy Reunion and I was able to contact 89 of the 110 living former band members .

Participants were Gordon Terry (1950) Johnny Vipperman (1951) Noah Crase (1954) Carlos Brock (1954). Eddie Adcock (1957) Tater Tate (1958 and 1984) Frank Buchanan (1960) Lonnie Hoppers (1962) David Deese (1962) Gary Thurman (1962) Doug Green (1967) RC Harris (1970) Dan Jones (1971) Guy Stevenson (1973) Jim Moratto (1973), Dwight Dillman (1974) Wayne Lewis (1977) Larry Beasley (1977) Art Stamper (1984) Wayne Jerrolds (1989) Jimmy Campbell (1988) Ernie Sykes (1996) and James Monroe (1963). Sonny Osborne (1952 and Dana Cupp (1991)were on the grounds but the rains were heavy and didn't make it up to the Barn. Some great stories were shared of the time they spent working with Bill Monroe.

Stories ranged from Gordon telling about the first time on stage and not knowing that when Bill nodded at him on stage it meant for him to take a break to Lonnie and Frank's dog stories.

The little Jamboree Barn in Rosine was a lifesaver as 3 of our 4 sessions accompanied the sound of the rain on the tin roof. Very fitting.
The little Barn was very reminiscent of the Old Brown County Barn that stood in Bean Blossom for years, not near as large but we felt right at home.

Blue Grass Boy 2000 "Late in the evening...." A limited edition print was unveiled which featured Bill in a familiar pose with his faithful F5 from a day prior to Gibson’s repair to the peg head, to his left and faded into time and distance Uncle Pen appears.

There were 1050 prints signed and numbered by the artist, Willard Gayheart available for sale to the public. Each Blue Grass Boy received a copy of the print signed and numbered with BGB followed by the number that corresponding to the belt buckle number from the birthday project from 1987. .
It was a great two days, and just to be able to spend time with these guys, they were there when musical history was being made.

Having being made aware of the gathering the following sent welcomes, greetings and messages. Governor Sundquist of Tennessee commended the Blue Grass Boys on their "Determination and dedication....." Governor Hunt of North Carolina send a greetings saying "Many of the Blue Grass Boys are among North Carolina's treasures". And Former President Jimmy Carter said in his message "I recall with fondness Bill's first performance at the White House...."

Rosine Kentucky is one of those special places, I can recall raising my head from the final prayer during the September 12 1996 services and looking to a sky that was just a little more blue and the trees just a little more green than I'd ever noticed before, those were things that meant so much to Bill, he spoke of it around the globe…. now he enjoys them daily as he rest in Ohio County Kentucky.

Li'l Abner

In the summer of 1974 while working with the Wilderness Road Outdoor Drama as an actor/musican, it was decided that we would do an Dark Night presentation of "Lil Abner".
Dark Night meaning that we would do it on night we were usually off. The Drama ran from Monday thru Saturday so Dark Nights were Sunday nights.
I’d never done any acting, I think we had a grade school play back at Hardin Reynolds Memorial School where I walked out on stage to sell apples in "the depression scene" and I did something in our Senior play which we wrote ourselves(We were the last graduating class at Hardin Reynolds and they had stopped senior plays a few years before but we had Miss DeHaven for english and talked her into sponsoring us for the last senior play...wasn't bad, but I would hardly call that acting.) I told them kiddingly during the Wilderness Road audition that I had been a dandelion in a third grade play but I was hired for my musical ability rather than my acting skills….

Mayor Daniel D. Dogmeat (Tony Estes) and Marryin' Sam (Doug Hutchens)

The leading actors weren’t really interested in doing another production so this gave the other Wilderness Road cast members the opportunity to be featured in more challenging roles.
I didn’t know much about Li’l Abner other that I had seen the comic strip. I began hearing rumblings that I would be a perfect “Marryin' Sam” and not knowing who he was I said sure…I‘ll do it...





Mayor Dogmeat (Tony Estes) and Marryin' Sam (Doug Hutchens)
being watched by those dispicable Scraggs (Lem, Luke and Romeo) and as
Evil-Eye Fleegle comes into town.

I had no idea that he was a central character…3rd only to Li’l Abner and Daisy Mae with the number of lines in the show…Marryin’ Sam was the preacher who Pappy and Pansy Yokum were counting on to get Li’l Abner and Daisy Mae married. He sang, he danced and many more lines that I‘d ever seen….and I was supposed to do all this??? I wasn't into theater and had no idea that Li’l Abner was a musical either…the comic strip didn't have any in it.....and also we did all the music live on stage…



A Cornpone Meeting


It featured a Sadie Hawkins Race and a Jubilation T. Cornpone Celebration and hopefully a wedding for Li’l Abner and Daisy Mae…

Pappy Yokum (John Forbes) Marryin' Sam (Doug Hutchens) with Mammy Yokum, Daisy Mae and
that World Famous Wrestler "Earthquake McGoon"
We would read lines in the afternoon before Wilderness Road and then do various scenes after the show each night. It was so hot during that part of the summer we didn’t do any practices during the daylight hours.
We practiced for two or three weeks and when show time arrived it was tense…we had never gone through the whole production from beginning to end before opening night. Nerves were drawn tight.

A typical day in DogpatchThe Matromonial Stomp

After the opening number the tension eased and as the show started rolling it seemed to flow like water. There were slip up, I made my share of them, but the cast, crew and the audience all enjoyed the production. It was a big success. We only did the show twice that summer, but I think we came away with a new sense of adventure and accomplishment.
Li'l Abner and Daisy Mae didn't get married but everyone had a good time in front of the statue of that beloved Jubilation T. Cornpone

Working with Kenny Baker and Josh Graves

Josh Graves, Doug Hutchens, Marsall Hall, Cecil Hall, Kenny Baker

Skyline NC. 1985
In the fall of 1984 while talking to Cecil Hall who I had played with off and on for 30 years....we decided that I could play banjo on some shows in the 1985 season. I still lived in Knott County Kentucky but all my weekends were free and during the summer I could take time off when ever I needed too.
The first date was to be at Old High School Roxboro NC in December of 84.

Along in November, I was talking to Cecil one night and he asked if I knew of a fiddle player we could get....He had been booking shows and using Uncle Josh Graves as a "Featured Artist" during the past couple of years.
I said well "Kenny Baker has left Bill (during October of 84)to which Cecil said "He wouldn't play with us would he? I said if he isn't booked somewhere else I'm sure he will if you pay him. I told him that he had been working some with Bob Black and his guys in Iowa, but didn't know how steady that work was, then I told him of the album that Josh and Kenny did sometime back on the Puritan label featuring Kenny on the guitar and of course Josh playing dobro. Somewhat hesitantly he said call him and see what you can work out.
I called Kenny and he said "Why I recond I could do a few dates with you guys...."

Fast forward ------December 1984....Roxboro North Carolina school Cecil Hall and the Dominion Blue Grass Boys Featuring Kenny Baker and Josh Graves....We did the school on a Foggy Friday night and the the Iroquise Club in Roanoke Va on Saturday.

Kenny Baker, Josh Graves, Cecil Hall, Billy Hutchens, Jake Tullock, Doug Hutchens

For a few special dates "Cousin Jake" Tullock joined us...from the days of "Uncle Josh and Cousin Jake" from the Flatt and Scruggs era.

Over the next year and a half we worked many dates around the country under the same billing...a few include The Sullivan's Homeplace St.Stevens. Al, Wiggins Ms, Ralph Stanley's Whitesburg Ky, Galax, Va, The Kitchens's Summerville W.Va. Wayside Park Stuart Va. Spruce Pine NC, Lilly Mae's Lorane Ohio, Bill Grant's Hugo Ok, Elizabethon Tn, The Carter Fold Macy Springs Va, Bass Mountain in Burlington NC, Myrtle Beach for Norman Adams...........

Galax Virginia, Fairview Ruritan Building Emma Smith joins us for a tune


At Summersville in 86 we found that Josh had already booked the festival for the 87 season. He had taken the innitative for he and Kenny to book show's themselves and then hire musicians from the area when ever possible, much like Mac Wiseman had done for years. This gave them a larger slice of the pie. In the coming months Kenny called me a few times times to work shows in Kentucky and Ohio since I still lived in Kentucky at that point.

Three years ago this morning.

James Aubrey Hutchens

Three years ago this morning my Father, James Aubrey Hutchens passed away.

We miss him greatly.

James Aubrey Hutchens and Cristen Hamm


Brikk Bennett, Lillian Hutchens, Aubrey Hutchens, Gage Bennett





Lillian Hutchens, Gage Bennett, Aubrey Hutchens, Cristen Hamm, Brikk Bennett

Cristen Hamm, Brikk Bennett, Mason Michael Bennett, Aubrey Hutchens, Gage Bennett

Getting Mail in Goodlettsville 1971

Getting mail at Bakers Box

After getting back from Cosby Tennessee on July 5th. Dan parked the bus and he and Bill went on their way.
The next morning I decided that I was going to walk down to Goodlettsville to the Post Office. I started mailing cards along with a letter or two in Pennsylvania and Ohio the week before, I was like a tourist sending cards, from it seemed like every truck stop. Kenny had noticed the cards I was sending and told me that if I needed a place to get my mail in "town", I could use his post office box number and that he would tell the people at the post office that if I came in to go ahead and give me mail from his box. I had put his post office box number on all my cards and now I hoped that I might have a response or two.
When we initially came in from Columbus that first day I was with the group, Kenny had pointed it out the post office but I really had no idea of how far it was from the bus.

So I started walking up Dickerson Road….I walked, walked and walked.. I finally got to Forest Lawn Cemetery and I still couldn‘t see what I thought that looked like the little shopping center where the post office was so I turned back. It was a hot day and as I approached the bus I started to reach into my pocket for my key and I couldn’t find it. I thought it might have gotten sharp end down in the corner like it had the week before. I must have looked pretty strange walking down Dickerson Road with my hands digging deep in my pockets and counting through the change over and over for a key that wasn’t there.

When I got back to the bus my heart was racing….first I thought I might be able to force something in the crack of the door and move the plunger over to open it, but the deadbolt would not budge….I was about to panic….then another idea….see if one of the side window would move. The window to the left of the door would not budge….then I went over to the driver’s side and low and behold I found that the window would slide a little. I had to look around and find a sturdy stick, then was able to move the sliding window enough to climb up on the tire and pull myself into the window…..I was relieved. I climbed in and just sat there the longest time thinking how lucky I was. I immediately found a small piece of twine and tied a small piece of cardboard to the key.
When I went to the truck stop the next time I found a key ring with a half dollar size leather fob on it and I never misplaced my key again although I found my self checking my pocket each time I went out the door after that and never locked my self out again.