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Dueling
Banjos
Richard
Franklin Bishop
©
Copyright 2013
by Richard Franklin Bishop
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Near
Misses to
Fame and
Fortune
There
are cases where someone already well known in show business was grabbed
by the"fickle finger
of fate"
and lost
out on
higher fame
and fortune
due to
a decision
by someone
in high
places; usually
a Movie
Director.
A
good example is
Ronnie
Cox,
a really
pleasant-looking,
nice guy.
A first-class
musician on
the Guitar
and an
actor of
note in
both Movies
and several
Television Series.
In 1972
he was
offered a
part in
the Award-winning
film Deliverance.
All sources
agree that
he was
only given
the part
because he
could play
the Guitar
expertly. This
was his
film debut.
Those of
you who
have not
seen the
film probably
remember a
side issue
that must
have caught
your attention
in the
intervening years.
This was
the picture
that made
"Dueling
Banjos" a
hit not
only in
Bluegrass music
but also
exploded in
both the
Country
and
Western
and
Pop Charts
with a
big bang
and was
a million-seller
overall. It
also became
an "Evergreen"
at every
Bluegrass festival,
Country and
Western get-togethers,
as well
as The
Grand Ole
Opry, etc.
The
performance in
Deliverance by
Ronnie Cox
as the
Guitar player
and Billy
Redden as
the Banjo
picker may
be seen
on U-Tube
at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tqxzWdKKu8
Billy
Redden, was
cast as
an autistic
inbreed (one
source said
he was
supposed to
be an
"Albino") whose
facial appearance
and looks
were all
Hollywood. He
was actually
a normal
young student
picked for
the part
and was
not autistic
and was
not an
"inbreed." For
his appearance
in this
part, the
makeup did
it all.
As a
matter of
fact, he
could not
play a
Banjo and
with an
unusual camera
angle, another
person substituted
his arms
and Banjo
fret maneuvers,
realistically.
Ronny
Cox actually
did play
the Guitar
during the
filming. He
used the
music composed
by Arthur
“Guitar Boogie”
Smith and
the tune
was called
"Feudin'
Banjos."
But when
filming began,
the Director
played a
recording of
Dueling
Banjos
by Eric
Weissberg (Banjo)
and Steve
Mandell (Guitar).
Ronnie Cox
was told
about this
in advance
and during
the filming
had to
adjust his
Guitar fret
moves to
the musical
notes as
performed on
the professional
audio recording
and not
to the
music of
"Feudin'
Banjos,"
as written.
It takes
a really
professional musician
to do
this “on
the fly.”
He
was quoted
later as
saying: “I
lost a
'gazillion' Dollars”
by not
being the
actual performer
on the
final cut
of the
film audio
sound track
because Dueling
Banjos
became an
all-time
million seller.
It picked
up a
"Golden Globe"
award as
the best
original musical
score for
a film. Also, the
tune was
selected in
1974 for
a "Grammy"
Award as
the Best
Country Instrumental
Performance (later
on, Arthur
“Guitar Boogie”
Smith, through
a lawsuit,
insisted on
- and won
- past royalties
as well
as the
Dueling
Banjos
Music
Composer
Credits for
the tune
in the
film Deliverance).
Ronnie
Cox is
not
hurting
too
much,
though.
Since
his
wife
died
in
2006,
his
one
love
has
been
performing
as
a
musician
and
he
regularly
turns
down
offers
for
acting
jobs
in
film
and
television
series
to
be
on
the
road
at
“Music
Festivals”
more
than
two-thirds
of
the
year. You
can
look
him
up
on
Wikipedia
(ironically,
as
an
Actor)
under:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronny
Cox
And
if all
this has
whetted your
appetite for
Bluegrass music,
then take
a look
at the
newest performers;
three young
Brothers from
New Jersey,
who have
become the
"toast" of
the Internet,
and were
featured on
the Letterman
Show, the
Today Show,
at Nashville's
Ryman Auditorium
and many
Bluegrass Festivals
lately. It's
the Sleepy
Man
Banjo
Boys
Band
playing
Dueling
Banjos
- Revenge
of
the
Guitar.
The youngest
(the Banjo
picker) was
only 9
years old when
he appeared
on the
Letterman Show
a couple
of years
ago. He's
now about
11.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFbWkL818XQ
At
this same
Internet address
for U-Tube
(look over
on the
right side
of your
screen) you
can see
other offers
for viewing
Banjo pickers
- many are
from the
same group
Sleepy
Man
Banjo
Boys
Band
or
the
girls in
Bluegrass such
as Mean
Mary
or the
bouncy Wendy
Holcombe
(1963-1987;
unfortunately she
died at
the young
age of
24 of
an enlarged
heart). Wendy
Holcombe was
often paired
off as
a performer
with Buck
Trent
at various
Festivals around
the Country.
Other names
to look
for are
John
Hartford,
Earl
Scruggs,
Roy
Clark,
naturally Eric
Weissberg
and Steve
Mandell,
Arthur
"Guitar
Boogie"
Smith,
and the
Master of
Ceremonies at
this year's
Academy Awards
Ceremony, Stand-Up
Comedian Steve
Martin
who also
plays a
mean Banjo
and who
has lately
been instrumental
in digging
up prize-money
for young
contestants in
Banjo competitions.
Well,
that's
it -- an
example of
a Show
Biz hit
and/or
near miss.
We hope
you have
enjoyed the
ride.
(Unless
you type
the author's
name
in
the subject
line
of
the message
we
won't know where to send it.)
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Bishop's Biography and Story List
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