Kentucky Traveler by Ricky Skaggs

[mandolinlee]

I finished reading this book yesterday morning.

I found it interesting reading and learned much about his life in music. I knew he was a Christian, but did not know how Christ-centered his life is until reading this book. The Christian theme is throughout the book, but I never felt as though he was preaching to me or trying to convert me.

He has apparently taken his mandolin, fiddle or guitar everywhere he has gone. Music has been his whole life. He had one paying job in/near Washington D.C. for a short time, otherwise he made a living playing music.

The three people he revered most in his life were his Mom, Dad and Bill Monroe.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and recommend it to you.

Enjoy,
Lee

[Bradley]

Couldn't agree more. I would say that Skaggs is a main reason that I became interested in Mandolin when I was a
teenager and I have followed him and his music now for about 30 years. Nice to read about the real side of him and the
ups and downs of his life and career, and the reality of the Music Industry. My family is from the same area of Kentucky as
Rickys and its all too easy to know the religious side of that region and how the people hold the simplistic message of Christ
so near and dear. Great Book IMHO

[Timmando]

I finished reading his signed book the week before IBMA. The first day I got to Raleigh, I parked the rv, grabbed only my wallet and walked to the expo center. To my surprise, there was Ricky walking along the sidewalk by himself. I put out my hand to shake his, he shook mine (in a broken shoulder kind of way, did he hurt his shoulder?). I told him I just finished his book and he thanked me. We talked about his book, about pee wee, about his studio with all the historic pictures on the walls. He was very friendly, talkative. He said pee wee had some problems, and always has some kind of problem. Right now the neck was getting worked on. I hadn't seen Ricky on the schedule and he said he wanted to attend to congratulate all the winners as well as play a few songs in the last set. His regular band wasn't at the awards show, but he played mando in kind of a pickup band. I thought it was nice of him to attend, to be part of it all, he really has turned to bluegrass fulltime and wants back in the fold bigtime. I kicked myself for not having my camera with me!