Eric Weissberg, one of the musicians behind the iconic Deliverance song Dueling Banjos, passed away from Alzheimer’s Disease at the age of 80
Eric Weissberg, who along with Steve Mandell recorded the iconic Dueling Banjos song from the 1972 film Deliverance, has passed away.
Weissberg passed away at the age of 80, with friends and family confirming to Variety that he had been suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease for many years.
Mandell had passed away two years earlier, at the age of 76.
RIP: Eric Weissberg, who along with Steve Mandell recorded the iconic Dueling Banjos song from the 1972 film Deliverance, has passed away.
Weissberg was well-known in the folk music scene, who had established a career as a session musician for artists like Jim Croce and John Denver.
When he was brought on to record Dueling Banjos with Mandell, the song became a surprise hit, peaking at #2 on the Billboard singles charts.
It repeated in the #2 slot for four weeks in a row, just behind Roberta Flack’s hit Killing Me Softly, but the song did reach #1 on the Cashbox pop charts.
Musician: Weissberg was well-known in the folk music scene, who had established a career as a session musician for artists like Jim Croce and John Denver
Weissberg and Mandell won a Grammy for Best Country Performance, and it lead to a record contract with Warner Bros. Record, which produced the 1973 album Rural Free Delivery.
While he wouldn’t record another album until 1996’s Banjo Jamboree: Tradition Series, he continued working as a session musician for many top musicians.
He would go on to perform with Talking Heads, Aztec Two-Step, Nanci Griffith, Bette Midler, Herbie Mann, Richard Thompson, while Art Garfunkel would take him on the road to perform Dueling Banjos.
Grammy: Weissberg and Mandell won a Grammy for Best Country Performance, and it lead to a record contract with Warner Bros. Record, which produced the 1973 album Rural Free Delivery
Weissberg grew up on the Upper East Side of New York City, attending the prestigious Julliard School of Music.
He attended the school for three years before leaving to become a full-time musician.
Weissberg, who played multiple instruments including banjo, bass, guitar, performed with Greenbriar Boys and Tarriers, both based in Greenwich Village in New York.
New York: Weissberg grew up on the Upper East Side of New York City, attending the prestigious Julliard School of Music
He also contributed to Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks album, and he went on to record sessions with Loudon Wainwright III, Melanie, Sha Na Na and Barbra Streisand in the 1970s.
One of the tracks from his first album, 1963’s New Dimensions in Banjo and Bluegrass, Shuckin’ the Corn, was sampled by The Beastie Boys for their song 5-Piece Chicken Dinner on their album Paul’s Boutique.
Weissberg passed away in a nursing home near Detroit, according to The New York Times.
Contributed: He also contributed to Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks album, and he went on to record sessions with Loudon Wainwright III, Melanie, Sha Na Na and Barbra Streisand in the 1970s