Ricky Skaggs

Rickie Lee Skaggs (born July 18, 1954), known professionally as Ricky Skaggs, is an American neotraditional country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin, but he also plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo. Skaggs was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2016 and both the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2018. On January 13, 2021, Skaggs was announced to have been awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Donald Trump, alongside fellow country musician Toby Keith.

Biography

Early career Skaggs was born in Cordell, Kentucky to Hobart Skaggs and Dorothy Mae Thompson Skaggs. He started playing music at age five after he was given a mandolin by his father. At age six, he played mandolin and sang on stage with Bill Monroe. At age seven, he appeared on television's Martha White country music variety show, playing with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. He also wanted to audition for the Grand Ole Opry at that time, but was told he was too young. In his mid-teens, Skaggs met a fellow teen guitarist, Keith Whitley, and the two started playing together with Whitley's banjo...