# Who played the banjo on ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’ theme song?

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/who-played-the-banjo-on-the-beverly-hillbillies-theme-song/
- Published: 2026-10-28T11:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-28T11:40:56+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/who-played-banjo-on-the-beverly-hillbillies-theme/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Earl Scruggs played banjo on the theme.
- Lester Flatt played guitar, with Jerry Scoggins on vocals.
- The hit helped spread bluegrass music to a broad audience.

## Summary

Earl Scruggs played banjo on the theme song for *The Beverly Hillbillies*, performing with guitarist Lester Flatt and singer Jerry Scoggins. The song helped bring bluegrass music to a much wider audience as the sitcom became one of the most-watched programmes in the United States.

The series led US television ratings from 1962 to 1965, and its 1963–64 average rating was 39.1, close to the 2026 Super Bowl’s 39.7. After the show became a hit, Flatt and Scruggs released their own version of the theme, which reached number one on the country chart. Earl Scruggs’s wife and manager, Louise, helped secure the musicians’ television deal.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.