Ricky Skaggs Found His Calling: Honor God And Bluegrass — And Play As Fast As He Can

Ricky Skaggs has a remarkable resume. touring this year His excellent band Kentucky Thunder. He’s a member of the Country Music, Bluegrass, and Gospel Music Halls of Fame. He’s won 15 Grammys. He has 11 No. He has 11 No. 1 country singles, four No. 1 bluegrass album and seven No. But, as Skaggs told me in a recent interview, it’s his Christian faith he’s most proud of.

Skaggs was a religious man, which I had known from years of listening to him. However, when I saw him in person in January, I was stunned at the importance of his religious faith. “We don’t start our show with gospel, we don’t want to hoodwink people,” Skaggs agreed. About halfway through the show, Dennis Parker, an ex-alcoholic who was sentenced to time in prison, gave a moving testimony of faith and redemption that left many people in the audience in tears. He also elicited congratulatory ovations.

Skaggs was often criticized by his faith openness early in his career. “One guy wrote a letter complaining that he didn’t pay $100 to hear a sermon. So I sent him a check for $100,” Skaggs recounted. “We play great music with such quality and such finesse. These musicians are at the top of their game. I feel like God wants us to earn the right to share with the audience. It just is something we should do. They see that we’re just normal people, we love our country, we love God, and we love y’all too. And we’re just gonna share as we do, and make it part of the whole performance.”

Skaggs believes today’s audience is more open to hearing the gospel than ever before. “We couldn’t have done the things we’re doing now but with all the latest craziness, the virus and all that, the temperature of people having a stomach to listen to the gospel is much, much better than it was pre-pandemic,” He observed. “People are seeing the writing on the wall. They’re seeing the way our nation is turning. God does not let those prayers go to waste. People are given another chance. God is the God of the second, third, fourth chance — he’s got all kinds of chances.”

A Virtuoso of Youth

Skaggs has seen his fair share of opportunities in his life. He was 5 years old when his father Hobert bought him a mandolin. In the next year, Skaggs played at a concert with Bill Monroe, who is widely regarded as the man who transformed bluegrass into a genuine musical genre.

“Mr. Monroe pulled me up like a sack of dog food onto the stage. He took his mandolin off, which is now in the Hall of Fame, and let me play it,” Skaggs stated. The year after that, he appeared on Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs’ syndicated TV show, earning $52.50 for the appearance, his first paycheck for