Nashville, Tenn. (July 24, 2024) — Last Friday, July 19, legendary country and bluegrass artist Ricky Skaggs celebrated a major life milestone while performing at the Grand Ole Opry. Skaggs, an Opry member since 1982, gathered with friends and family backstage to eat cake in celebration of his 70th birthday.
“Wow, 70 years old, that’s pretty amazing,” says Skaggs. “As I’ve grown older and have done the things that I’ve been blessed to do, I realize that 70 is just a number. I don’t feel one bit older than I did two weeks ago. I kinda like it. When the audiences we play for hear that I’ve just turned 70, they clap a little harder and a little longer. Maybe it’s total sympathy! Or it could be the long gray hair.”
On his birthday, Thursday, July 18, the Country Music Hall of Fame member was surprised with a special video reel. The reel opens with Skaggs’ manager Charlotte Scott, then messages to follow from artists, family, friends and music business colleagues. Artists appearing in the video include Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Vince Gill, Randy Travis, Ray Stevens, Jeannie Seely, Josh Turner, Shenandoah‘s Marty Raybon, Doug Gray of The Marshall Tucker Band, The Frontmen, Mark Wills, Mac McAnally, Emily Ann Roberts, Skaggs’ band Kentucky Thunder, The Isaacs, TG Sheppard and Kelly Lang. Watch HERE.
Tomorrow night, Thursday, July 25, Skaggs and his band Kentucky Thunder perform live at the historic Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville. The SOLD OUT performance is the final night of the annual Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman concert series.
ABOUT RICKY SKAGGS
Earning 12 #1 hit singles, 15 GRAMMY Awards, 13 IBMA Awards, nine ACM Awards, eight CMA Awards (including Entertainer of the Year), two Dove Awards, the ASCAP Founders Award, three honorary Doctorate degrees, inductions into the Country Music Hall of Fame, IBMA Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, National Fiddler Hall of Fame, Musicians Hall of Fame, and GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the 2013 Artist-In-Residence at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum, an Americana Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award in the Instrumentalist category along with countless other awards, Ricky Skaggs is truly a pioneer of Bluegrass and Country music. Since he began playing music over 60 years ago, Skaggs has released more than 30 albums and has performed thousands of live shows. He started his own record label, Skaggs Family Records, in 1997 and has since released 12 consecutive GRAMMY®-nominated albums. His latest release, Hearts Like Ours, with his wife, celebrated artist Sharon White of The Whites features the couple dueting on handpicked country love songs. And the Grand Ole Opry member has released his first-ever autobiography, “Kentucky Traveler.” The book details the life and times of Skaggs and provides a descriptive history of Country and Bluegrass music, as told by the master himself. In addition to his regular touring schedule with his band, Kentucky Thunder, he has added country tour dates as he plugs in and plays full shows of his chart-topping hits. Skaggs was a 2020 recipient of the National Medal of Arts, the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the United States government.
For more information on Ricky Skaggs, visit rickyskaggs.com.
