Ricky Skaggs Biography
Ricky Skaggs is an Accomplished American Neotraditional Country and Bluegrass Singer, Musician, Producer, and Composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, Skaggs also plays fiddle, guitar, man Doncaster, and banjo. Ricky was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2016 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2018.
On January 13, 2021, it was reported that Skaggs had been awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Donald Trump, together with fellow country musician Toby Keith.
Ricky Skaggs Age
Skaggs is 71 years old, he was born on July 18, 1954, in Cordell, Kentucky, United States of America. He celebrates his birthday on July 18 every year, and his birth sign is Cancer.
Ricky Skaggs Height
Ricky stands at a height of 5 feet 8 inches (170 cm). However, details regarding his other body measurements are currently not publicly available. We will update this section when the information is available.
Ricky Skaggs Weight
Ricky weighs 75 kilograms (165 Lbs). Known for his great vocals, Ricky has blue eyes and his hair color is white.
Early Life and Education
Born on July 18, 1954, in Cordell, Kentucky, United States of America, Skaggs started playing music at age 5 after he was given a mandolin by his father, Hobert Skaggs. At age 6, he played mandolin and sang on stage with Bill Monroe, and at age 7, he appeared on television’s Martha White country music variety show, playing with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs.
Rise to Fame and Breakthrough Moment
- Skaggs gained fame in the late ’70s when he joined Emmylou Harris’s Hot Band, replacing Rodney Crowell.
- He also became a recording artist in his own right in 1981 when his Epic label debut album Waitin’ for the Sun to Shine topped the country charts and yielded a pair of #1 hits.
Personal Life
Ricky Skaggs Family, Parents
Skaggs was born in Cordell, Kentucky, United States, as the son of Hobert Skaggs (father) and Dorothy May Skaggs (mother). Ricky’s passion for music started at the age of 5. His father, Hobert Skaggs, gave him a mandolin, which was the beginning of his music profession.
Ricky Skaggs Siblings
Skaggs spent his childhood alongside his three siblings: two brothers, Gary Skaggs and Garold Skaggs, and a sister named Linda Skaggs.
Ricky Skaggs Wife
Ricky is currently married to his wife, Sharon White, an American country singer and a member of the vocal group, The Whites. The couple had their wedding in August 1981, and together they were blessed with two children. They are a daughter, Molly Skaggs, and a son, Lucas Skaggs.
At first, Ricky was married to Brenda Stanley. The two met when Ricky was a member of the Clinch Mountain Boys. He was 17 when they first met, but they got married in the early 1970s.
During this time in marriage, the country musician took a break from music. He was tired of the low-paying band. He left the band and worked in the boiler room in Washington, DC. In this marriage, Ricky has two sons, Andrew and Mandy.
Ricky Skaggs Children
Ricky is a proud father of four adorable children: sons Andrew and Mandy from his first marriage with Brenda Stanley, a daughter, Molly Skaggs, and a son, Lucas Skaggs, from his current marriage with the love of his life, Sharon White.
Ricky Skaggs Net Worth
Ricky Skaggs has an estimated net worth of $20 million. This includes his assets, money, and income. His primary source of income is his career as a Musician. Through his various sources of income, he has been able to accumulate a good fortune but prefers to lead a modest lifestyle.
Kentucky Thunder
However, in 1996, Ricky was back in bluegrass roots. He formed the Kentucky Thunder band, where he is the lead vocalist and also plays the mandolin. Ricky has worked together with the Vermont-based jam band with whom they played in 2000. Together with Bruce Hornsby, Ricky had an album on 20 March 2007. In 2008, Ricky recorded a bluegrass version of Old Enough with Ashley Monroe and the Raconteurs.
Ricky played the mandolin at the track, as well as sharing vocals with Jack White, Brendan Benson, and Ashley Monroe. In 2011, Ricky, with different Bluegrass musicians, featured with Irish band, The Brock McGuire Band on their album ‘Green Grass Blue Grass’. An exploration of the relationship between Irish Traditional Music and American Bluegrass and Appalachian tunes.
Songs
- Crying My Heart Out Over You
- Highway 40 Blues
- Heartbroken
- Honey
- Uncle Pen
- I Wouldn’t Change You If I Could
- Ricky Skaggs
- Cajun Moon
- Love Can’t Ever Get Better Than This
- Thanks Again
- I Don’t Care
- Mandolin Rain
- Home Is Wherever You Are
- Soldier of the Cross
- Talk About Suffering
- Children Go
Uncle Pen
Uncle Pen was a song composed and originally recorded by Bill Monroe. Besides Monroe, the song was recorded by Porter Wagoner in 1956, Goose Creek Symphony in 1971, Michael Nesmith of The Monkees in 1973 on his solo album Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash, and Ricky in 1984.
The song was Ricky’s ninth number-one single on the country chart. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of thirteen weeks on the country chart. Bill Monroe played a character named “Uncle Pen”, disappointed at the citification of Ricky Skaggs in the 1985 video for “Country Boy”.
The improvisational-rock band Phish has performed its version of “Uncle Pen” over 200 times in the band’s 30-year career. Leon Russell recorded the song “Hank Wilson” in 1973.