that followed. And Earl Scruggs set the RENO-STYLE standard for bluegrass banjo playing on those historic Columbia recordings. This was also the band in which Lester Flatt WORKSHOP and Earl Scruggs first became acquainted and would later form the most popular bluegrass band in history. To say this was Reno Roots Part 3—The Decision an historic time is an understatement. So the question is, “What if Don took Jason Skinner the job instead of joining the army?” In 1943 a monumental event took place history. Well it’s hard to say because it would that would not only change Don Reno’s Why was this event so important? have affected so many things, especially life but the evolution of the 5-string banjo, Because his decision affected everything musical associations. The most obviously and bluegrass music forever. It was May that was to follow. When Don turned affected would have been the associations 17, 1943 that Don Reno decided to turn down the job as the first three-finger between Flatt and Scruggs and Reno and down an offer from Bill Monroe to join style banjo player for Bill Monroe, the Smiley. These legendary bands may not the Bluegrass Boys, so that he could join job went to none other than Earl Scruggs have existed if Don took the job with the US Army instead. At the time, Don’s in 1945. With the addition of this “new” Monroe. In fact we may have even have decision probably didn’t seem like such a style of banjo playing, the Bluegrass Boys ended up with Flatt and Reno instead of big deal, but looking back it was one of the exploded in popularity. This band would Flatt and Scruggs! And what would have most important occurrences in bluegrass set the standard for every bluegrass band happened to all those great sidemen like

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