Earl Scruggs and the Earl Scruggs Review.

August 27, 2012

On April 14 and 15, 1972, the Wisconsin Music Festival was held at the University of Wisconsin Fieldhouse in Madison.

The show consisted of about 10 acts performing each day. On the first day day I photographed Bob Brown, Nick Holmes, Dave Van Ronk, McKendree Springs, Rosalie Sorrels, Ramblin Jack Elliott, Richie Havens, The Earl Scruggs Review and Uncle Dirty who was the MC for both days.

Being just 17 years old and hanging out in the dressing room with these musicians is still a great memory for me.  I was a music photographer for the Bugle-American newspaper at the time, and with this two day show I got two pages of photographs in the magazine!   It was a wonderful time and everyone was so nice to me.  These days, it would never happen for a young photographer to be able to roam around and mingle like I did.

Enjoy the seven photographs attached of Bob Brown, The Earl Scruggs Review, Ramblin Jack Elliott, Richie Havens, Rosalie Sorrels and a photo of Earl Scruggs' sons.

Next week I will feature the second night of the festival in my blog which has some more memorable pictures that I took.

All blog photographs are for sale at a special price of $30.00 for a limited edition 8 X 10 or 8 1/2 X 11 gloss print which includes shipping in the U.S..  This sale is just during the week of the featured blog.  Contact us soon.

Please visit me on Facebook or Twitter @ richzimmermann.com

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

April 10,2012

I know I have to keep up with this blog thing a bit better.  I will try to blog once every week.

We lost a neat guy last week, Earl Scruggs.  Someone once said that he dressed like a Nashville dentist, but Earl Scruggs was a classy man.  He came from the days when we all dressed up to go on an airplane.  These days, people do not dress up much for anything at all. 

I had the pleasure of meeting and hearing Earl play twice.  One of these photographs is from an interview we did before a show at UW Milwaukee in 1972.  The other photograph shows him playing with one of his sons and the incredible Vasser Clements.  Earl did things with a banjo that made you listen hard and look twice. 

We will miss you Earl and keep playing that banjo in heaven.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann