More About Me

I have studied banjo since 1955. My strongest influences have been Earl Scruggs, Walt Hensley, JD Crowe, Sunny Osborne, and Bill Emerson. I have had the privilege of playing banjo on the Grand Ole Opry with both Earl Taylor and the Stoney Mountain Boys and with Jimmy Martin and his Sunny Mountain Boys. Lester Flatt honored me with an invitation to be his banjo player after he and Earl Scruggs parted.

I learned the craft of the 5 string banjo on the job, playing 6 nights a week at various Cincinnati bluegrass nightclubs. During the almost 7 years I played with Earl Taylor and the Stoney Mountain Boys, we were at a local hotspot called The Kenmill. Later, Jim McCall and I partnered in a band called The Appalachian Grass and we played for 3 years at another local club called King’s Row. Both bands also travelled the country playing festivals, colleges, conventions, and other showdates. I have also played for and/or recorded with numerous other entertainers such as Mac Wiseman, Jimmy Skinner,
Charlie Moore , Rusty York, Lonnie Mack, Sid Campbell, JD Jarvis, and Bobby Grove.

I started teaching banjo in the early 1960s. Initially, I taught using the currently popular tableture system. However, I found that method didn’t work well; folks just didn’t learn to play to the best of their abilities. So, I developed my own McIntyre system for writing out a tune for a student. I find the McIntyre system encourages students to learn and understand the timing of all the rolls. This understanding of timing is critical to any musician, especially to a banjo player.

My roster of former and current students includes Dwight McCall (now on mandolin with JD Crowe), Roy Lee Centers (formerly guitar player for Ralph Stanley), Pam Gadd (formerly of Wild Rose), Randy Pollard (formerly with Appalachian Grass and Larry Sparks), Mitch Manns (formerly staff musician with Jerry Reed and Del Reeves), Kevin Hendrix (formerly of Bob Lewis Family and Appalachian Grass), Duane Bowling (formerly with 1949), Jeff Roberts (formerly with Charlie Sizemore), Jeff Campbell (formerly with Stoney Mountain Boys and Appalachian Grass), Greg Fingar (formerly of Appalachian Grass), Joey Browning (currently with Glen Ritchie), Allen Eisenmann (formerly with Allen Brothers), and Robert Campbell (currently with Appalachian Grass).

I offer lessons both in Cincinnati and in Wapakoneta, OH. You can reach me in Cincinnati at 513-521-2706 and in Wapakoneta at 419-568-1220. Email is fotmc@iglou.com