Eric Weissberg

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 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 Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Cecile (Glasberg), a liquor buyer, and Will Weissberg, a publicity photographer. The song also won the 1974 Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance. which included appended film credit for the song and a portion of royalties.

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 Riverside Church in New York City with the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College orchestra and chorus, along with the Riverside Inspirational Choir and NYC Labor Choir, to honor President Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday. Directed by Maurice Peress, they performed Earl Robinson's The Lonesome Train: A Music Legend for Actors, Folk Singers, Choirs, and Orchestra, in which Weissberg played solo banjo.

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.

Discography

Albums Year Album Chart positions R.I.A.A. 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. 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) Clear Waters Remembered (Jean Ritchie, 1974) Judith (Judy Collins, 1975) Free Beer (Free Beer, 1975) Closeup (Frankie Valli, 1975) Songs for the New Depression (Bette Midler, 1976) 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) Family Vacation (Rosenshontz, 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) Join the Jubilee (Tom Chapin and others, 1996) 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) The Girls Won't Leave the Boys Alone (Cherish the Ladies, 2001) Live at Wolf Trap (Judy Collins, 2002) Copper: Original Soundtrack (Brian Keane, 2013) North Mountain Rambling (David Kraai, 2017)