A Country Survivor : When Ricky Skaggs’ star fell a few years ago, he changed his focus to family and God. He also created a weekly radio show.

Ricky Skaggs skidded off the country music charts a few years ago, a sudden relic at 35.

A hit machine for almost a decade, Skaggs found it increasingly tough to get radio play while other country performers like Billy Ray Cyrus and Garth Brooks dominated the airwaves. Skaggs released his last No. 1 single, “Lovin’ Only Me,” in 1990.

Instead of panicking, however, he found perspective.

“The business manager part of me was hurt when we weren’t having the big records anymore,” said Skaggs, 39, in a phone interview from Nashville. “But I was actually relieved. It gave me time to recognize what’s really important, like my family and God. It used to affect me greatly when someone jumped over me on the charts, but I know now I am accepted whether I have a Top 10 record or not.”

The new Skaggs hasn’t lost his attraction for the road. This year, he’s made 115 concert appearances, stopping tonight at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center. “My fans still believe I’m just as hot as I ever was,” Skaggs said.

Skaggs has sufficient reason to be secure about his standing in Nashville lore. In the early 1980s, many in the industry considered him a savior of traditional country music at a time when the genre was exploited by such pop-influenced stars as Kenny Rogers and Crystal Gayle. Playing guitar, banjo, mandolin and fiddle, Skaggs reflected such singers from an earlier generation as Bill Monroe and Hank Williams.

“Ricky was the only one who was doing real, true country, as opposed to the watered-down pop others were doing, and he was bringing a bluegrass element, which was hardly ever played on the radio,” said Ronnie Mack, host of the weekly Tuesday night Barn Dance concerts at the Palomino in North Hollywood.

Skaggs’ first single, “Don’t Get Above Your Raising,” peaked at No. 16 in 1981. A year later, he recorded his first No. 1 tune, “Crying My Heart Out Over You.” Over the next decade, he churned out 24 Top 10 singles, including 14 that made it all the way to No. 1. The success surprised the once-poor Kentucky boy who never expected such an easy route to stardom.

“I wasn’t grounded and rooted the way I should’ve been,” said Skaggs, who lives with his second wife and their two children in Nashville. He also has two children from a previous marriage. His kids range from 4 to 16 years old. “I tried to stay humble, but it was difficult.”

Skaggs said he receives too much credit for preserving the roots of country music, but acknowledged his role. “I wanted to offer people an alternative,” he said. “I felt country music was being abused.” Performers such as Randy Travis and George Strait followed Skaggs’ lead.

These days, Skaggs is promoting another alternative. Outraged by country music videos and lyrics he claims portray a lifestyle of sex and alcohol, he put together a new nationally syndicated weekly one-hour radio show, “Simple Life With Ricky Skaggs.” “I’ve seen some videos that have left me sick to my stomach,” Skaggs said. “We don’t need to do that to make records.”

The program debuted in May on nearly 70 stations and reaches about 250 markets. (KNOB-AM (1050) in Bakersfield airs the show at noon Saturdays.)

In each segment, Skaggs interviews prominent country music stars--guests have included Clint Black, Dolly Parton, Billy Ray Cyrus and Charlie Daniels--focusing on how they grew up and what values they cherish. The guest’s latest recordings are played intermittently throughout the hour.

“People want to know about their kids, their hobbies, their favorite charities,” Skaggs said. “It shows a side of them that other interviews don’t show.”

Meanwhile, Skaggs’ projects include a gospel record and a bluegrass album he hopes to release early next year. His most recent album, “Super Hits,” came out in August.

WHERE AND WHEN

What: Ricky Skaggs concert.

Location: Lancaster Performing Arts Center.

Hours: 7 and 9:30 tonight.

Price: $18-$20.

Call: (805) 723-5950.