Eric Weissberg
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Eric Weissberg | |
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Born | New York City, U.S. | August 16, 1939
Died | March 22, 2020 Warner Bros. | (aged 80)
Eric Weissberg (August 16, 1939 – March 22, 2020) was an American singer, banjo player, and multi-instrumentalist, whose most commercially successful recording was his banjo solo in "Dueling Banjos", featured as the theme of the film Deliverance (1972) and released as a single that reached number 2 in the United States and Canada in 1973.
A member of the folk group the Tarriers for years, Weissberg later developed a career as a session musician. He played and recorded with leading folk, bluegrass, rock, and popular musicians and groups from the middle of the 20th century to its end.
Life and career
Weissberg was born in
Weissberg was taken on as a string-bass player, but the group soon made use of his multi-instrumental talents as banjo player, fiddler, guitarist, mandolin player, and singer. He started performing with the Tarriers while still a student at Juilliard. His first album with The Tarriers, Tell The World About This (1960), has a much rougher feel than the smoothly produced sound of The Weavers or The Kingston Trio.
In 1964, he had one-year's service with the
Commercially, interest in acoustic folk groups was waning. Weissberg developed a career as a session musician, playing on albums by
He was well known for playing the banjo solo in "Dueling Banjos", used as the theme in the film Deliverance (1972), produced by Joe Boyd and directed by John Boorman. It was released later as a single and became a hit; playing on Top 40, AOR, and country stations alike. It reached the Top Ten and hit #2 in the US and Canada.[2] The song also won the 1974 Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance.[1]
Weissberg released a related album, called
Continuing to play folk festivals, Weissberg was nearly as well known in that venue for his dobro guitar as for his bluegrass banjo playing. He also recorded with jazz musicians Herbie Mann and Bob James. In 1998, he joined Richard Thompson and dozens of other folk musicians on Nanci Griffith's album, Other Voices Too.
He often toured with Tom Paxton. They frequently played a variant of "Dueling Banjos" in the set, in addition to Paxton's material.
On February 12, 2009, Weissberg performed at the
On March 22, 2020, Weissberg died at the age of 80 from Alzheimer's disease at a nursing home in White Lake Township, Michigan, near Detroit.[1][5][6]
Discography
Albums
Year | Album | Chart positions | R.I.A.A.[7] | Label | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Country | US | CAN | ||||
1963 | New Dimensions in Banjo and Bluegrass | — | — | — | — | Elektra |
1973 | Dueling Banjos | 1 | 1 | 1 | Gold | Warner Bros. |
Rural Free Delivery | — | 196 | — | — | ||
1996 | Banjo Jamboree: Tradition Series | — | — | — | — | Rykodisc |
Singles
Year | Single | Chart positions | R.I.A.A.[7] | Album | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US AC
|
US | US Country | CAN AC | CAN | CAN Country | ||||
1973 | "Dueling Banjos" (with Steve Mandell) | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 9 | Gold | Dueling Banjos |
"Reuben's Train" | — | — | — | 69 | — | 71 | — | ||
1975 | "Yakety Yak" (with Deliverance) | — | — | 91 | — | — | — | — | single only |
Partial list of sessions recordings
- The Boys Won't Leave the Girls Alone (The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, 1962)
- "Sunny's Gallery of Folk Songs" (Sunny Schwartz, 1963)
- Fifth Album (Judy Collins, 1965)
- Live At Newport (1959–1966) (Judy Collins)
- Ballads From Deep Gap (Doc and Merle Watson, 1967) ′′ Bombs Over Puerto Rico (Jim & Ingrid Croce 1969)
- Sweet Moments With The Blue Velvet Band , Warner Bros. Seven Arts Records WS 1802 (1969 - As member of The Blue Velvet Band, with Bill Keith, Richard Greene, Jim Rooney)
- The Good Book (Melanie, 1971)
- Barbra Joan Streisand (Barbra Streisand, 1971)
- Lay It All Out (Barry Mann, 1971)
- Aerie (John Denver, 1971)
- Stoney End (Barbra Streisand, 1971)
- Poems, Prayers & Promises (John Denver, 1971)
- Rocky Mountain High (John Denver, 1972)
- Careful Man (Jim Croce 1973)
- Portfolio (Richie Havens, 1973)
- True Stories and Other Dreams (Judy Collins, 1973)
- Farewell Andromeda (John Denver, 1973)
- Piano Man (Billy Joel, 1973)
- Back Home Again (John Denver, 1974)
- Blood on the Tracks (Bob Dylan, 1974)
- Judith (Judy Collins, 1975)
- Free Beer (Free Beer, 1975)
- Closeup (Frankie Valli, 1975)
- Sing Children Sing: Songs of the United States of America (UNICEF, 1977)
- Two Days Away (Elkie Brooks, 1977)
- Say It in Private (Steve Goodman, 1977)
- Final Exam (Loudon Wainwright III, 1978)
- Return of the Wanderer (Dion DiMucci, 1978)
- None But One (Jean Ritchie, 1981)
- Chaka Khan (Chaka Khan, 1982)
- Cabbage Patch Dreams (Cabbage Patch Kids, 1984)
- Little Creatures(Talking Heads, 1985)
- The Animals' Christmas (Art Garfunkel, Amy Grant, 1986)
- The Wanderer (Kevin Rowland, 1988)
- Rei Momo (David Byrne, 1989)
- Album III (Loudon Wainwright III, 1990)
- Heroes (Tom Paxton, 1992)
- Judy Sings Dylan ... Just Like a Woman (Judy Collins, 1993)
- Shameless (Judy Collins, 1994)
- Take The Fifth (compilation; Bridget St John, 1995)
- Songs from a Parent to a Child (Art Garfunkel, 1997)
- Other Voices Too (Nanci Griffith, 1998)
- Bathhouse Betty (Bette Midler, 1998)
- Live For The Record (Tom Paxton, 1999)
- Times Like These (Rick Danko, 2000)
- Cowboy Dreams (Prefab Sprout, 2001)
- Live at Wolf Trap (Judy Collins, 2002)
- Copper: Original Soundtrack (Brian Keane, 2013)
- North Mountain Rambling (David Kraai, 2017)
References
- ^ a b c Friskics-Warren, Bill (March 23, 2020). "Eric Weissberg, 'Dueling Banjos' Musician, Dies at 80". The New York Times. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
- ^ "Arthur Smith passes", Bluegrass Today, 4 August 2014, accessed 27 August 2014
- ^ Joe De Priest, "Charlotte’s Arthur Smith, who wrote ‘Dueling Banjos,’ died Thursday at 93" Archived 2014-04-07 at the Wayback Machine, Charlotte Observer, 3 April 2014, accessed 27 August 2014
- ^ "Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Gala Concert" Archived October 27, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Riverside Church, NY blog, 1 February 2009, accessed 27 August 2014
- ^ "Eric Weissberg, 'Dueling Banjos' Musician, Dead at 80". Bestclassicbands.com. 29 July 2015. Retrieved 2020-03-23.
- ^ "Eric e. Weissberg Obituary".
- ^ ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
External links
- Official Eric Weissberg site Archived 2019-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
- Eric Weissberg discography at Discogs
- Eric Weissberg at IMDb