Ricky Skaggs Wants to Join Garth Brooks on Tour

Ricky Skaggs wants to tour with Garth Brooks. The 64-year-old reveals he would like to return to [...]

Ricky Skaggs wants to tour with Garth Brooks. The 64-year-old reveals he would like to return to country music by hitting the road with artists like Dierks Bentley and Keith Urban, but especially Garth Brooks.

"I love his energy and love his excitement and I love that he loves real country and bluegrass," Skaggs tells Nashville's Tennessean, speaking of Brooks. "He's such a kind and generous person. That would be fun to go out in that environment where I know it is a safe and fun place and I think his fans would love my music as well."

Skaggs has a lengthy history in country music, spending much of the '80s at the top of the charts with hits like "Highway 40 Blues" and "Cajun Moon," among others. But after the death of bluegrass icon Bill Monroe, the Kentucky native immersed himself in bluegrass, as a way to continue to promote the genre he was raised on.

Lately, Skaggs has been slowly dipping his toes back in the country world, playing some of his previous hits during his shows, albeit with a bluegrass feel. In 2017, Skaggs played his first country concert in more than 20 years, and is ready to do more.

"I get a little bit worried if people are going to like it or not," Skaggs acknowledges. "It really has been fun to bring the country songs back out."

Skaggs will be inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in September, followed by the Country Music Hall of Fame in October. In other words, it seems like the perfect time for Skaggs to start performing both styles of music.

"This year is going to be real special," Skaggs says. "We'll be throwing down with the bluegrass stuff, too, but I really do want to do some country."

Skaggs admits he is still having trouble processing his CMHOF induction.

"CMA Entertainer was a great thing in '85, first No. 1 record, first GRAMMY, fifteenth GRAMMY – on and on and on. Those things are great," Skaggs tells PopCulture.com. "This is beyond great. I don't know in country music if there's anything any higher than this. There's nothing.

"I didn't set out for this," he continues. "I worked for it. I've worked all these years, but I didn't work to get in here. That's the difference in my heart – just play and do my best. Show up, be my best. Every day, every night. That's what I've tried to do. I don't guess there is really any greater [award] on this Earth."

Photo Credit: Getty images/John Shearer

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