Shelby in Cleveland County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Earl Eugene Scruggs
| | NC Musicians Mural Trail | |
Photographed by Mark Parker, July 24, 2022
1. Earl Eugene Scruggs Marker
Born: January 6, 1924 in Shelby, NC
Died: March 28, 2012
Earl Eugene Scruggs, the most influential and imitated banjo player in the world, was born on a forty-acre cotton farm in the little Flint Hill community of Cleveland County on January 6, 1924. At age four, Earl began learning to pick his father's open back banjo. At age ten, he advanced to a more complicated 3-finger banjo style, using a "forward roll" he learned from a few of the older banjo pickers in the region, and that would carry him through his career. Earl was an innovative artist who loved to share his music, mentor young musicians and cross musical boundaries. His incredible contributions solidify his place as an American icon and musical legend.
Muralist: Scott Nurkin
Erected 2020 by NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. A significant historical date for this entry is January 6, 1924.
Location. 35° 17.411′ N, 81° 32.408′ W. Marker is in Shelby, North Carolina, in Cleveland County. It is at the intersection of South Lafayette Street (North Carolina
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Piedmont. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Earl Scruggs (here, next to this marker); Shelby Sit-ins (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Cleveland County World War II Memorial (about 300 feet away); Bobby Bell (about 300 feet away); Don Gibson (about 400 feet away); The Earl Scruggs Center (about 400 feet away);
Photographed by Mark Parker, July 24, 2022
2. Earl Eugene Scruggs Mural
Marker is to the bottom left
Photographed by Mark Parker, July 30, 2022
3. Earl Eugene Scruggs center location
Formerly the Cleveland County Courthouse
Credits. This page was last revised on July 12, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 11, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 217 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 11, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
