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Lester Flatt

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Lester Flatt was an American singer, guitarist and mandolin player and one of the pioneers of bluegrass. He was born in 1914 in Duncan's Chapel, in Overton County, Tennessee. At twelve he left school to work in a textile mill. In 1939 his career began on the radio. In 1943 he played mandolin and sang in The Kentucky Pardners, Charlie Monroe's band, and in 1945 Charlie's younger brother Bill Monroe brought him into his Blue Grass Boys.

Music and breakthrough

In 1948 Flatt and the banjo player Earl Scruggs left Monroe's band and started a group of their own, Flatt and Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys. For twenty years they were one of the most successful bands in bluegrass. They reached a large audience with The Ballad of Jed Clampett, the theme music of the television series The Beverly Hillbillies in the early 1960s. In 1969 Flatt and Scruggs split up. Flatt founded The Nashville Grass, with most of the members of the Foggy Mountain Boys, and made records with them such as Flatt Out (1970). He died in Nashville in 1979.

Influence

Flatt played rhythm guitar with thumb and forefinger, a style he had partly picked up from Charlie Monroe. While Scruggs drew attention with his fast banjo, Flatt provided the foundation with his firm rhythm and full singing voice. Together they defined how traditional bluegrass sounds. In 1985 they were inducted together into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Foggy Mountain Breakdown by Flatt and Scruggs and first notice Earl Scruggs's lightning-fast banjo. Then listen again and focus on Lester Flatt's guitar underneath: it keeps the tempo tight and gives the song its drive.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Mentioned in other articles

Categories: ArtistsBluegrass