Kicking off his recent tour on August 16th at the Rose Music Center in Ohio, Ricky Skaggs looked to travel the country throughout the rest of 2025. Looking at his schedule, the country legend would stay on the road, performing several times each month until ending with one last show on December 11th. With Skaggs leaving his mark in country music over the last six decades, the singer was excited to perform. But at the same time, Skaggs revealed how he would be traveling without one of his longtime band members, Dennis Parker.
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Sharing a post on Instagram, Skaggs revealed the logo for Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder. Embracing the style of vintage country, fans quickly noticed the announcement in the caption. “Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder will be hitting the road next week in the Northeast, with stops in Maine, New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey! You will be able to see new band members in Kentucky Thunder’s configuration, including Justus Ross as the lead guitarist and our newest member, Troy Engle, who is now playing in beloved former band member Dennis Parker’s place.”
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Dennis Parker Declares Ricky Skaggs Is “The Total Package”
Thankfully, nothing bad happened to Parker. Instead, Skaggs explained how his friend wanted to explore other avenues in his career. “Dennis is moving on to other opportunities where he feels led, and although he is missed, we wish him all the best! Troy will be playing many different instruments, including mandolin, guitar, and pedal steel, along with harmony vocals. Ricky Skaggs’ country hits will shine brightly on these upcoming shows!”
Looking back on Parker’s career, he first joined the Kentucky Thunder in 1997. And while they parted ways in the past, Parker returned in 2017. Besides playing together, Parker constantly praised the persona of Skaggs, once detailing his many talents. “He’s not only a great instrumentalist, he’s also an unbelievable arranger and he’s a great band leader. … He’s got a cool presence about him because he knows what he wants and he knows what he likes. He listens for everything and he expects it to be there, but he’s not in any way not nice to you.”
While deciding to take a different path, Parker will never forget his time with Skaggs and the Kentucky Thunder, promising, “He’s the total package and there ain’t many of them around like that.”
(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for the Grand Ole Opry)
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