"The Recording Academy Honors" - Page 4

Little did a 10-year-old from Shelby, N.C., know that his self-taught style of banjo playing would one day become known throughout the world as Scruggs-style picking. Because of Earl Scruggs' talents, the banjo was reborn as an important musical force. His amazing career includes a stint with Bill Monroe's band before teaming up with Lester Flatt to form Flatt & Scruggs. The duo eventually recorded 23 albums, appeared on live network television shows and created "The Ballad Of Jed Clampett," the theme song to The Beverly Hillbillies, which became a hit country and pop single earning a GRAMMY nomination. Their "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" from the movie Bonnie And Clyde went to the top of the charts and earned them a Grammy.

It could be argued that the Winans family is gospel music's royalty as they've dominated gospel and urban music for decades. Grammy-winners BeBe and CeCe Winans established new standards for contemporary gospel music in the late '80s as part of the groundbreaking sibling duo, BeBe & CeCe. Their well-crafted albums successfully straddled a fine line between secular and gospel music. Songs such as "Lost Without You," "Count On Me," and "I'll Take You There" brought the duo success in both arenas. Both siblings keep busy with successful solo careers and outside interests: CeCe's social activism led her to create Always Sisters, Always Friends, a conference to discuss today's women's issues, while BeBe currently hosts The BeBe Winans Radio Show, a syndicated gospel program, and continues to add to his acting resume, which includes a role in the 2003 thriller, The Manchurian Candidate.

Article Author: Eric Olsen

Career media professional Eric Olsen is honored to be the founder and former publisher of Blogcritics.org, and former publisher of Technorati.com, which both rule. He is now editor, co-founder, and CEO of The Morton Report.

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