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American Banjo Museum |
Each year the American Banjo Museum, located in Oklahoma City, honors jazz age banjo pioneers as well as contemporary banjo artists, educators, manufacturers and promoters with induction into the National Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame. This year's induction ceremonies - honoring Buddy Wachter, Lee Floyd III, Skip DeVol, Glenn Parks and Jim Farquhar - will be held at the American Banjo Museum on Friday, May 4th beginning at 6PM.
The following day, performances by two of this year's Hall of Fame inductees will highlight a full afternoon of live banjo performances in the museum's popular Shakey's exhibit. In addition to informal jam sessions which will begin and end the day, solo performances by popular vocalist and banjoist Roger Hale as well as ABM director Johnny Baier will set the stage for concert style sets by new Hall of Fame inductees Lee Floyd III and Buddy Wachter.
Being honored in the category of Performance, Lee Floyd III began his performing career in 1962. During the ensuing 50 years Floyd and his banjo have traveled the world performing in many major centers of entertainment - including a 30 year association with the Walt Disney company. Currently living in New Orleans and performing under the stage name 'plink' Floyd, Lee Floyd's genre busting performances have helped redefine the banjo's identity in the contemporary musical marketplace.
A past Hall of Fame honoree (2001) for Performance, Baltimore's Buddy Wachter is again honored - this time for his contributions in banjo education and instruction. Without a doubt the most influential four-string banjoist of the current generation, Wachter's performance career highlights include touring with Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians at the age of 17 as well as taking the banjo to the great concert halls of the world (including Carnegie Hall in 1992). Wachter was the guest soloist with the OKC Philharmonic Orchestra in 2008.
Performances will begin at noon on Saturday, May 5th at the American Banjo Museum, 9 E. Sheridan Avenue in the Bricktown district of downtown Oklahoma City. For specific performance schedule or information regarding tickets for the National Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, please call 405-604-2793 or check the website calendar
