West coast grassers will have a chance to celebrate the 100th birthday of the great Earl Scruggs in a special tribute show on January 6 in Bakersfield, CA, produced by the California Bluegrass Association in partnership with the Guitar Masters concert series.
Billed as the Earl Scruggs Centenary Celebration, the concert will include performances by luminaries Peter Rowan, former Blue Grass Boy and life long bluegrass artist, and Herb Pedersen, banjo player and vocalist whose work has included time with Chris Hillman in The Desert Rose Band, The Dillards, Vern & Ray, and Linda Ronstadt. Banjo player Bill Evans, a long time stalwart of the Bay Area bluegrass scene, will also appear.
A special Earl Scruggs Tribute Band has been assembled to support these and other guests, including Mike Witcher on reso-guitar, Jim Nunnaly on guitar, Chad Manning on fiddle, Tom Bekeny on mandolin, and Steve Pottier on bass.
The show will be held at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace starting at 7:30 p.m. on January 6, with doors opening for dinner at 5:30. Tickets are available now online for $50 each.
This brings the number to three of major tribute concerts scheduled around the country to celebrate Earl’s birth.