Eric Weissberg Dies at 81

Adair Torres · Post by **Adair Torres** » 23 Mar 2020 6:52 am

Eric Weissberg was an American singer, banjo player, and multi-instrumentalist, best known for playing solo in "Dueling Banjos," featured as the theme of the film Deliverance and released as a single that reached number 2 in the United States and Canada in 1973. Wikipedia
Born: August 16, 1939, New York, New York, United States
Died: March 22, 2020

https://youtu.be/icWkyedURkM

Jim Pitman · Post by **Jim Pitman** » 23 Mar 2020 7:10 am

Jim Rooney posted a heartfelt and historical account on FB of his association with Eric Weissberg. Check this out. Thank you Jim and so long Eric.

https://www.facebook.com/jim.rooney.315 ... ZY&fref=nf

john widgren · Post by **john widgren** » 23 Mar 2020 7:38 am

Eric depressed the pedals of his S10PP Emmons one night at a gig, and the underside dropped out. He loved that old PP so he called me to see if I could fix it. The body was splayed pretty badly which is why the shafts pulled out. Without getting in the weeds about the repair, I managed to fix the guitar. He was ecstatic to get it back. At that occasion he listened to me play as I demo'd the guitar and some changes I added. For the next twenty or more years I got many calls for commercial and theater work as a result of referrals from Eric. Eric and I became friends and shared a love of Motorcycles and music. He was a VERY skilled rider. He was also a collector of vintage cars and motorcycles. He smoked me on Twisty Catskill mountain roads, many times on smaller older bikes than mine...all skill...no ego. He usually endured the dueling banjo jokes with grace and wit.

I liked him a lot and was lucky to have known him.

Godspeed Motorhead!

JW

Ben Elder · Post by **Ben Elder** » 23 Mar 2020 3:22 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T_-ZwYPcKY

I have made exactly one homemade ringtone and it is Eric Weissberg's solo (PP, glad to know that, John) on Sha Na Na's "Top 40" (1971). I had mere hundredths of a second to fade up after "Well are ya?" and down before "Your songs..."

Before my final cremation, I want to be marinated in Eric's "Top 40" solo for at least six months.

Go ride high on that mountain.

gary pierce · Post by **gary pierce** » 23 Mar 2020 3:59 pm

Sorry to hear this. I had just started playing banjo, and met him at the Grand Ole Opry by his bus, and he was a very nice guy.

Russ Tkac · Post by **Russ Tkac** » 23 Mar 2020 5:39 pm

john widgren wrote:Eric depressed the pedals of his S10PP Emmons one night at a gig, and the underside dropped out. He loved that old PP so he called me to see if I could fix it. The body was splayed pretty badly which is why the shafts pulled out. Without getting in the weeds about the repair, I managed to fix the guitar. He was ecstatic to get it back. At that occasion he listened to me play as I demo'd the guitar and some changes I added. For the next twenty or more years I got many calls for commercial and theater work as a result of referrals from Eric. Eric and I became friends and shared a love of Motorcycles and music. He was a VERY skilled rider. He was also a collector of vintage cars and motorcycles. He smoked me on Twisty Catskill mountain roads, many times on smaller older bikes than mine...all skill...no ego. He usually endured the dueling banjo jokes with grace and wit.

I liked him a lot and was lucky to have known him.

Godspeed Motorhead!

JW

Wonderful post John!

Godfrey Arthur · Post by **Godfrey Arthur** » 24 Mar 2020 2:22 am

Godspeed Eric!

You've delivered many from the drop-dead ignorance of hating banjos! Those that did not hear the call left mired in their abyss.

Effortless player, rocker looks.

Movie magic; that's not actor Billy Redden's hands doing the honors but a real musician's.

Eric and I became friends

Cool story John!

Steve Hitsman · Post by **Steve Hitsman** » 24 Mar 2020 3:23 am

Probably hard to locate but it would be worth the effort. Fortunately, I was able to find the CD years ago... a Japanese release. I think I still have the vinyl somewhere, too.

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 24 Mar 2020 4:48 am

Great story John!

RIP Eric.

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 25 Mar 2020 1:15 pm

I was saddened at hearing this news...

I remember the first time I heard the John Denver album(on 8 track tape,in a friend's Pinto...)

The steel guitar on two of the songs tore me up...

Like another record with maybe not"technically excellent"
steel playing on it...what EW played on that stuff fit it to a TEE...

It still makes me smile,every time I hear it(often)...

Rest easy,Sir...you made your mark.

SH

gary pierce · Post by **gary pierce** » 25 Mar 2020 4:57 pm

This is one of my favorite songs Eric played on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj05s_Pzz88

George Seymour · Post by **George Seymour** » 26 Mar 2020 4:51 am

Virtuoso.. Rest In Peace

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 28 Mar 2020 8:32 pm

Very saddened to read this. Great player on so much great stuff - he was tremendously multi-talented. RIP.

Rich Upright · Post by **Rich Upright** » 30 Mar 2020 7:05 pm

Dang! The end of a legend.

Archie Nicol R.I.P. · Post by **Archie Nicol R.I.P.** » 31 Mar 2020 4:41 pm

That one Sha Na Na song was what got me into Pedal Steel. Sad news.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 2 Apr 2020 8:19 am

Eric played on hundreds of jingles, recordings and live performances with Judy Collins, Eric Anderson and many more. I interviewed him for my book Guitar Dreams and he was a fascinating raconteur who was badly treated by the movie producers of Deliverance who rushed an LP out as soon as the film became popular. They used old artwork and deleted the credits on the liner notes. They never even told Weissberg they were releasing an LP. He found out from a friend who said "Did you know you have a hit record?" He and the record company were sued by the composer of "Feudin' Banjos" and Eric spent years explaining that he had not ripped anyone off - it was all the record company's doing. RIP Eric.

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Eric Weissberg Dies at 81

Eric Weissberg Dies at 81

Eric

A hit in heaven

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