Skaggs' Grammy Nominated 'Honoring The Fathers' A Labor Of Love

New York, NY. (Top40 Charts/ Shore Fire Media) - Ricky Skaggs' recently Grammy nominated album 'Honoring the Fathers of Bluegrass: Tribute To 1946 and 1947' (Skaggs Family Records) marks a new landmark in a career with no shortage of landmarks. A tribute to Bill Monroe and the 'Original Bluegrass Band' who birthed the genre in '46 and '47, the album brings Skaggs' musical journey full circle.

Long before a string of 12 No 1 Country singles in the 1980's and a collection of 13 Grammy Awards, Skaggs first performed in front of an audience at Monroe's side at the tender age of 6, and one year later he made his television debut with 'Original Bluegrass Band' members Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt. 'Honoring the Fathers' pays tribute to the men who helped to launch his 37 year career in music, as well as educate younger generations about where the music came from.

The album's genesis came when Skaggs discovered a stash of live recordings that document the 'Original Bluegrass Band' at its peak. 'Mr. Monroe and the Original Bluegrass Band truly made country music history,' says Skaggs. 'Those five men laid the foundation stones that everyone else has built upon. They created a whole new vocabulary of musical licks, solos, backup fills, vocal arrangements and rhythms. They created the genre known as Bluegrass music. We wanted to tell their stories through music, honoring their arrangements and their tempos, bringing 1946 to the present for the next generation of listeners.'

Debuting at No 1 on the Billboard Bluegrass albums chart, Skaggs' fourth consecutive No 1, the album was met with critical kudos across the board.

Here's what we heard:

'The concept here is nothing short of brilliant...the picking and singing are outstanding.' -Billboard

'There is an unmistakable integrity to his effort here... its subject, like its execution, comes across as admirably vivid.' -The New York Times

'A searing collection of first-generation bluegrass songs...a force in modern bluegrass.' -The Tennessean

'Like 1954-55 for rock 'n' roll or 1979-80 for hip-hop, 1946 and 1947 was when everything came together for bluegrass...Kentucky Thunder pay homage to that band with a dozen songs...certainly sets the modern standard.' -USA Today

'A proper balance between reverent tribute and good fun, and the record serves as a fine showcase for Skaggs and company. At times they play faster than a person can listen, and all too soon 'Honoring the Fathers' is over'