Ricky Skaggs Crafts Landmark Of American Roots With 'Ricky Skaggs Solo (Songs My Dad Loved)' Out September 15

Nashville, TN (Top40 Charts/ Shore Fire Media) - Before stepping on stage with Bill Monroe at the tender age of five and making his Grand Ole Opry debut only two years later, 14-time Grammy winner Ricky Skaggs was taught to play the mandolin by his father Hobert Skaggs. Hobert instilled his love of deep, pre-bluegrass mountain music in his young son, and Ricky's look back at these beloved tunes has resulted in a powerful landmark of American roots music, his first ever truly solo album 'Ricky Skaggs Solo (Songs My Dad Loved),' out September 15 on Skaggs Family Records.

Playing every instrument and singing every note on the album, Ricky brings a raw, emotional honesty to the songs. By coming home to the music that meant so much to him as a child, Ricky has tapped into a wellspring of passion that he channels into every tune. It's as though he willed himself back to his family's house in Kentucky, and in doing so found the purest expression of his music to date.

Fiddle, clawhammer banjo and mandolin feature prominently on the album, and Ricky serves as his own high, lonesome duet partner on the Monroe Brother's 'What Is A Home Without Love' and 'Sinner, You Better Get Ready' as well as the Stanley Brothers 'Little Maggie.' Ricky also tackles arrangements for the classic hymn 'God Holds The Future In His Hand' and gospel tunes ' City That Lies Foursquare' and 'Green Pastures In The Sky.'

After losing his brother and mandolin playing musical partner in World War II, Hobert Skaggs swore that if any of his children showed an interest in music he'd teach them the mandolin and carry on his brothers legacy. After hearing three-year-old Ricky harmonizing with his mother from across the house as he played with toys, Hobert surprised him with a mandolin. Two weeks after teaching him the G, C and D chords, Hobert returned from working out of town shocked to see his young son making chord changes and singing along.

Hobert's tutelage translated into not only 14 Grammy awards, 12 No 1 hits, 12 Top 20 Country albums and 8 CMA awards (including Entertainer of the Year), but an unmatched 50 year career which finds Ricky constantly adding new milestones.

'Ricky Skaggs Solo (Songs My Dad Loved)' tracklisting:
1. Foggy River
2. What Is A Home Without Love
3. Colonel Printess
4. City That Lies Foursquare
5. Little Maggie
6. Sinner You'd Better Get Ready
7. Pickin' In Caroline
8. I Had But 50 Cents
9. Green Pastures In The Sky
10. Calloway
11. This World Is Not My Home
12. Branded Wherever I Go
13. God Holds The Future In His Hands