ERIC WEISSBERG

• • From New York City.
  • Began performing as a 10-year-old on radio station WNYC. He plays all the bluegrass instruments including Dobro™ and steel guitar.
  • Best known as the banjo player who (with guitarist Steve Mandel of the Garrett Mountain Boys in New York) recorded the instrumental “Dueling Banjos” for the hit movie Deliverance (1973). The tune was originally called “Feuding Banjos” and was written by Arthur Smith and Don Reno in 1955. It was covered by The Dillards as “Duelin’ Banjos” in 1963 and subsequently recorded by Weissberg and Mandel for the movie soundtrack.
  • Studied string bass at the famous Julliard School of Music. Worked as a studio musician and performed with The Tarriers and the Greenbriar Boys. Has also performed on double bass with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.
  • 1963, recorded a classic banjo duet album with Marshall Brickman (a banjo player who later collaborated with Woody Allen on many films) in the 1960’s called “New Dimensions in Banjo and Bluegrass” which helped to popularize melodic style (a.k.a. Keith-style or chromatic-style) banjo. In 1973, the album was released again by Warner Brothers as Dueling Banjos: From The Original Soundtrack “Deliverance” although Dueling Banjos was not included on the original album.
  • 1995, formed a band with Jim Rooney and Bill Keith called The New Blue Velvet Band.
  • 1998, began touring as a member of Art Garfunkel’s band, playing guitar.
  • 2009, joined the Aaron Copland School of Music (at Queens College) orchestra and chorus.
  • 2020, died at the age of 80.