Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder

Fifteen-time GRAMMY® Award-winner Ricky Skaggs’ career is easily among the most significant in recent country music history. Skaggs got his start as a professional bluegrass musician but turned to more mainstream country in the 1970s when he joined Emmylou Harris’ Hot Band before embarking on a solo career in the ‘80s. Putting his own stamp on the country format, the Kentucky-native infused his bluegrass and traditional country music roots into the contemporary Nashville sound.

His impressive career has earned him numerous awards. He’s garnered eight Country Music Association Awards, including the coveted Entertainer of the Year trophy in 1985, and has been honored with inductions into the Gospel Music Association’s Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the National Fiddler Hall of Fame, the IBMA Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, and country music’s greatest honor, the Country Music Hall of Fame. Most recently, he was awarded the prestigious National Medal of Arts in 2020 for his contributions to the American music industry.