Banjo Players and Friends


A ragtag bunch sometimes referred to as "The New Cross Creek Travelers".
This photograph was taken out in the camping area of the Dunnellon Festival in the Spring of '98.  John McGowan (guitar) and Bruce Bowden (Dobro) were members of the original Cross Creek Travelers.  That's yours truly, Tom Biggs, on the banjer (a '29 Granada tenor conversion) and Hal Copeland playing the Kay. (Photo by David Dees)
(More New Cross Creek Travelers)

Wynn Osborne -- a good friend and a great banjo player. 
This picture was taken (Spring '98) in a Nashville motel room while Wynno was puttin' new wires on his ole beater of a banjer.  Wynn's instrument is a fine old old, original flathead Granada with a Frank Neat neck.  The Man was once overheard to say, "That's a good soundin' banjer and he plays the far out of it, too."

Wynn on stage with Neshoba   Who is this guy?

The Chief -- reigning Statesman of the 5-string.
My good friend Sonny Osborne.  It has been said that Sonny single-handedly raised the prices on old flathead Granadas to the level that you need a mortgage to buy one.  When this picture was taken (Spring '98) Sonny was holding court during a great discussion of the recording practices of the late Bill Monroe.

Playing a "go to hell chord".     This is on of my favorite pictures of Sonny.

The Man ('nuff said). 
Still looking good in his 70's, Earl Scruggs is the one who started it all.  When discussing the time when he switched from skin banjo heads to plastic heads, Earl was overheard to say, "a man wouldn't go through many plastic banjo heads in a lifetime."

Onstage in his prime.  With Josh With Bill  With Lester and Donna
 

I was fortunate to meet Jimmy in 1996..  It is through Jimmy that I meet my good banjo pickin' friends Ron Satterfield and Wynn Osborne (who as it turns out is Jimmy's son-in-law).  Nearly every Saturday morning I spend a couple of  hours with this old Hillbilly drinking coffee, telling stories and studying the 5-sting.  Time well spent. (Oh, sitting next to Jimmy on the left above is Mike Markly -- a pretty good fiddle player.)

Jimmy pickin' the banjer.

Please feel free to contact me via email (tbiggs@cfl.rr.com).