“Crying My Heart Out Over You:” Ricky Skaggs’ First No. 1 Single

Ricky Skaggs is a legend in country and bluegrass music. Aside from proving that he is a good singer, Skaggs is also a talented mandolin player. Furthermore, he is not only known for the many bands he joined, but he also made a name for himself as a solo artist. Ricky Skaggs’ had 13 No. 1 single on the chart and also recorded 32 studio albums as a solo artist.

Childhood Musical Inspiration

Ricky who was born in Cordell, Kentucky, on the 18th of July was influenced by his parents. His parents listened to bluegrass music when he was growing up. He recalled that he listened to the music of Bill Monroe, the Father of Bluegrass, and Flatt & Scruggs. Aside from listening to music of these legendary singers Skaggs also learned to play the mandolin by the age of 5 which was taught by his father.

Musician in a Band

Before he became a solo artist, Skaggs worked with Keith Whitley, in which they formed the band East Kentucky Mountain Boys. Keith and Ricky recorded some albums and also some songs together. They were even invited to be part of The Stanley Brothers group, Clinch Mountain Boys. After working with the Stanley Brothers, Skaggs moved to another band called the Country Gentleman. He also worked with Emmylou Harris’ band.

Solo Career

After years of working with different bands, Skaggs’ began to take a leap to work out his solo career. Ricky Skaggs released his first album Sweet Temptation. He then followed it with Waitin’ for the Sun to Shine which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Country Album chart. Other songs to enter the chart at the beginning of his solo career were “Don’t Get Above Your Raisin,” “You May See Me Walkin’,” and “Crying My Heart Out Over You.” These songs were all from his album Waitin’ for the Sun to Shine.

First No. 1 Song

Skaggs’ first No. 1 song on the chart was with his song “Crying My Heart Out Over You.” His song peaked on the Billboard chart in 1981. But the song was not first recorded by Skaggs, it was originally recorded by Flatt & Scruggs in 1960. Their version only reached No. 21 on the chart. The song was written by  Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Carl Butler, and Earl Sherry.

Awards and Nominations

Aside from producing a lot of No. 1 songs on the chart, Skaggs’ was also nominated and won numerous awards from the Grammy’s to the CMA and ACM. He was nominated 29 times and won 14 times on the Grammy Awards. Furthermore, Skaggs won 8 times on the CMA and ACM Awards.

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