For Ricky Skaggs, that’s the perfect time.

“Well, you know, a lot of these instrumentals that I get, I get early in the early morning times. I know it sounds silly, but there’s, there’s a time when I’m still, I feel like I’m still sleeping but I feel like I’m, awake too. It’s like that, that place in between asleep and awake,” Skaggs said in a telephone interview.

During the early morning Skaggs said also that’s where melodies and song lyrics come to him as well.

“And so, that’s where I get I get a lot of ideas. I’ve heard other people talk about a real creative thing that they that they get — other artists or other artisans, maybe people that paint, wood work or pottery or whatever, but a lot of people get inspiration in that early morning time,” Skaggs added.

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder are scheduled to perform at The Struthers Library Theatre, 302 W. Third Ave., Warren, Saturday at 8 p.m.

Skaggs, a 15-time Grammy Award winner, continues write new songs and attributes his longevity to the people he has around him, mainly his band Kentucky Thunder, as well as other artists. He can be considered a musician’s musician because of his prowess and skill on the instruments he plays. He said he tries to hire musicians that are better than him, so he can get inspired.

“I’ve always had a great band. And that’s the reason that I think, that whatever musicianship that I have, it’s grown out of younger musicians, to this band. And when I find musicians that are humble and great at what they do, and really want to learn more, especially about the old music that I grew up on, and not just want to play what they want. I don’t try to stop all musicians, but I do, try to lead them into playing music that makes the band sound better, and, yet, still keeping a real sense of tradition and sensibility, Skaggs said.

Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder are scheduled to perform at The Struthers Library Theatre, 302 W. Third Ave., Warren, Saturday at 8 p.m.

“This group of guys meets my approval every night,” Skaggs said about the band on his website rickyskaggs.com. “Each and every one of the pickers in Kentucky Thunder totally amazes me in every show…and that, to me, outweighs any award we could ever win.” The lineup of Kentucky Thunder includes Russ Carson, banjo; Jake Workman, lead guitar; Dennis Parker, baritone vocals, guitar; Gavin Kelso, bass; Mike Rogers tenor vocals and rhythm guitar; and Billy Contreras, fiddle.

Over the course of his 50-plus year career, Ricky Skaggs also has won eight Country Music Assoication Awards, nine Academy of Country Awards, 13 International Bluegrass Music Association Awards, nine Iinspirational Country Music Awards, two Dove Awards, three honorary Doctorate degrees and many other awards. In the past decade, he has been honored with inductions into the Gospel Music Association’s Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the Musicians Hall of Fame. In 2018, Skaggs was awarded membership into the National Fiddler Hall of Fame, the IBMA Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and country music’s greatest honor, the Country Music Hall of Fame. Most recently, he was awarded the prestigious National Medal of Arts in 2020, his website said.

And for advice, Skaggs tells musicians to check the reason they really want to play to a live audience and tour for several months out of the year, and makes sure the decision comes from within themselves. “There is something about music that can bring peace to people.

For more information contact strutherslibrarytheatre.org.