American bluegrass duo of Lester Flatt (vocals/guitar, 1914-1979) and Earl Scruggs (banjo, 1924-2012). Active from 1948 to 1969. Foundational to the development of bluegrass alongside Bill Monroe — particularly Scruggs's three-finger banjo picking style.
Released dozens of albums in their two-decade partnership. Best-known recordings include "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" (used in the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde) and "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" (the theme song to The Beverly Hillbillies, a #1 country hit in 1962). The duo split in 1969 over creative differences. Both members were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame (1985) and the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.
