bowfinger - Posted - 11/18/2009:  20:27:33

My finger hurt from playing the mandolin. (trigger finger etc).
got rather serious about learning. It's been fun! Much more fun than the dobro so far.
Relatively easy to get a good sound out of compared to the fiddle.

banjohead22 - Posted - 11/19/2009:  00:50:46

I was 13 or 14 and read some old mother earth news article about how to build your own banjo. i tried and failed to build one but the thought of just hanginout under a tree and pickin for the fun of it sounded real good to me. i didnt actually get a banjo til i was 18 though when i was makin my own $$.

ThomasJay107 - Posted - 11/19/2009:  04:43:00

I'd say Leadbelly, king of the 12 string, got me into the banjo. I was listening to a lot of blues and older guitar players. Having spent my teenage years listening to rock and punk, and all those angst filled songs a teenage boy loves, it was mind opening to here true blues and "angst" sung without screaming it. Learning about Leadbelly segued into listening to Pete Seeger. I'll never forget hearing Pretty Polly with his distinctive up picking. The lyrics alone put any punk song to shame, but that rhythmic, melodic, almost rusty metallic yet beautiful banjo sound hooked me. Soon I was grabbing at any banjo recording I could and I heard Tony Trischka... that's when I put the finger picks on and truly got obsessed, with any style of banjo that can be played.

5stringpicker2 - Posted - 11/19/2009:  06:33:24

My Grandmother got me a small record player and an Old Timey & Bluegrass album 78rpm when I was 5 years old and that fired up the interest for me.

L8tr on I saw Flatt & Scruggs on TV around 1961 I told my dad I wanted to play the Banjo real bad and he said he would get me a guitar. I asked him why I couldn't have a Banjo and he said...I can sell a used Guitar.

5stringpicker2 - Posted - 11/19/2009:  06:38:09

I finally got that Banjo and have been playing for 40 years or so. Still Pick'n & Still Grin'n

bob chappell - Posted - 11/20/2009:  02:57:08

Seeing Earl with the Earl Scruggs Revue back in 1974 at the Great Southeast Music Hall in Atlanta. It changed my life.

Frailinaway - Posted - 11/20/2009:  05:27:17

Two specific things: first, the popularity of "Hey, Mr. Banjo" in the early 50's (I think) caused me to get my first tenor; second, Dave Guard of the Kingston Trio inspired me to try to play almost genre on a 5-string. Still can't play but still having loads of fun!

bubbalouie - Posted - 11/20/2009:  19:09:56

Too many guitars!(I was one of them

Too many guitars! ( I was one of too many). Bought a beater for 150:00. Got earls book & took a couple lessons.

beeliner - Posted - 11/21/2009:  09:20:02

I bought a 78 rpm record of Earl Scruggs playing Pike County Breakdown back about 1952. I thought that was the best sound I had ever heard and went from there.

JohnB. - Posted - 11/21/2009:  09:37:04

The movie deliverance when I was about 12 years old.

3fingers - Posted - 11/21/2009:  15:30:53

Cause the old men in bib overalls were getting all the chicks

Seriously I come from a musical family and have always been around it but what really sparked me on the banjo when I was 10 or so my Aunt gave me Flatt and Scruggs golden hits and as they say the rest is history