Sunday, August 16, 2015
August 12, 2015. We asked Bill Keith’s musical partner Jim Rooney from Folk New England’s founding committee to comment on the recent Bluegrass Hall of Fame announcement about Bill Keith.
Rooney wrote:
“Having just received the news that Bill Keith will be inducted into the IBMA Bluegrass Hall of Fame this year, I’m still taking it in. My immediate response is, “Hallelujah!” From the first time Bill started playing “The Devil’s Dream” and “The Sailor’s Hornpipe” the banjo world was never the same. His musical approach to the instrument, based on the Circle of Fifths, influenced a whole generation of players, including Bela Fleck, Tony Trischka, Steve Martin, and countless others. Bill was recently honored by many of these players at the Grey Fox Festival. He was acknowledged not only as a great player, but as a great teacher and mentor to young players who were eager to learn. Personally, I couldn’t ask for a better musical partner and friend (55 years and counting!). His deeply inquisitive mind, his humor, his honesty, his modesty have made his a friendship to be treasured.”
For the announcement of Hall of Fame Inductees and full list of 2015 music award nominees, check out Bluegrass Today.
And here’s a fuller article from Cybergrass.
(Top photo, photographer unknown. Courtesy Jim Rooney.) “Bill Keith and I did a once-off TV show at WWLP in Springfield, Mass in early 1960 while we were at Amherst College. Notice Bill’s long neck banjo. The day before the show he slipped on the ice and snapped the banjo neck. He glued it up and it held through our performance. Also notice the button down shirts and ties. We wanted to look professional!”
More about Bill Keith.