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And now, it is well-known as being the top banjo song of all time. That’s how that unforgettable scene in “Deliverance” came into being. Dueling Banjos was originally written by Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith in 1954. The actual music was arranged and recorded by Eric Weissberg on banjo and Steve Mandel on guitar. Also, the banjo being used would never play the same sound in the recording. Experienced banjo players know that the hand movements don’t align perfectly with the playing, however.
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Careful camera angles kept Addis out of view. Local musician, Mike Addis, sat behind Redden, with his left arm in Redden’s shirt so as to do the hand movements on the banjo and make it look more convincing. The boy role was played by American actor Billy Redden. The boy and the traveler then began their remarkable dialogue through their musical instruments.
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He responded by picking up his banjo and playing back. The scene goes as follows: An autistic boy named Lonnie, who happened to have a banjo, heard the guitar being played.
#Ragtime songs movie#
Perhaps the most popular of all banjo songs is from the scene in the movie Deliverance when an autistic teenage boy named Lonnie from South Georgia played the banjo part in the song “Dueling Banjos” opposite Ronnie Cox on guitar. Knowing the story behind each adds more life to the song and makes them that much greater.Ĭlick here to see this Kmise Banjo Ukulele Concert on Amazon.īelow, I’ll explain some background for these top banjo songs. There are some fascinating stories about the top banjo songs of all time. We may get a commission if you purchase something through a link on this page, so thank you!Īlso, for an excellent banjo, take a look at our top pick, the Vangoa 5 String Banjo Remo Head Closed Solid Back with beginner Kit:Ĭlick here to see it on Amazon. Read on to learn more about the best banjo songs of all time and the stories behind some of them.Īlso, we hope you find the links here useful.
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Banjo music is incomparable, with a unique tone and style all of its own.īanjo music is mostly associated with folk and country music, but it can be incorporated into many music genres. Disclosure: We may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.ĭueling Banjos, the song in Deliverance, is one of the most popular and recognizable banjo songs of all time.
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