Daddy Played the Banjo

Actually he also plays guitar, the 12 string guitar and the accordion. But growing up it was the banjo that I most remember hearing him play. To be honest I tried to learn the Banjo, once. It just didn't seam right. For me its trombone. But I digress. The title is Daddy Played the Banjo.

When kids are in school the last thing most want to do is be around teachers when they don't have to be. Funny how that was not my case. My parents were good friends with one of my teachers. Yes I was told more than once to call him Mr with his last name not call him by his first name. "Even though he said it was OK to.) Back to the story at hand. There was an evening where the teachers were having a party and asked my dad and this teacher to provide entertainment. He played the guitar and my dad the Banjo. It was amazing how many songs my dad could play and he knew the words to them as well. It was fun to sing along with them as well as to see the teachers singing along. Look world teachers are real people. And some even have good voices. Not just the music teachers that is.

An apology.

Have you ever preformed before a crowd? If so was there someone in the audience heckling you? My dad had to go through that. he was the one on stage playing the banjo for all the scouts in town. And he was doing the song in a round. Basically playing the banjo for row row row the boat for two groups at the same time. And some annoying kid in the audience kept yelling out to sing another song as this one was boring. Needless to say I was not very popular. Nor did I realize what dad was going through playing to such a big crowd of kids. I think I apologies back then but if not or if I just did it because I had to allow me to do it with meaning this time... Sorry dad. I have now preformed in front of a large crowd and have a small understanding what you were going through. It sometimes takes a while before you truly understand what someone else goes through because of something you did.

I know these are two stories of my dad playing for others. But I do remember many times hearing him play at home. We had a parlor in out home. In there was a large horsehair couch. Very comfortable. Anyway that is where my dad kept his banjo. It was actually on a stand. There were many times that my dad wold play for us kids in our parlor. The nice thing is that he could play in there even after I was in bed and I could still hear him as my room was just above the parlor. So when others listened to the radio or back then 8-track, cassettes or the radio to fall asleep I listened to my dad playing his music.

So as I started this whole thing with I shall end with the same words - Daddy Played the Banjo.

And yes I saw this with my grandfather many years ago.

Some use these some don't. Either way its good to have them as an option. Those on Hee Haw would say I'm a picking and I'm a grinning. And Steve Martin actually showed the different ways to pick a banjo.

Steve Martin, Martin Johnson & Emory Lester on Letterman.

Steep Canyon Rangers & Steve Martin on Letterman.

Yes this is one that I actually have. I mostly listen to it on my Amazon cloud drive. Just ask the folks I work with. Track # 7 Pretty Flowers is my favorite song on this album. And for those of you that tend to go for the music not the CD I picked this one up for $5.00 in their monthly online promos. Thus it being added to my cloud account.

Hallelujah Hitchin Band - Daddy Played the Banjo.