Lance Frantzich of a Southern California bluegrass band and other members have begun an effort to compensate banjo player Billy Redden from Georgia who played an iconic role in a film. Their Go Fund Me page can help raise the necessary funds.
15-year-old Dylan played one of the movie’s most memorable scenes when he challenged Cox to a musical duel; unfortunately he couldn’t play banjo!
Billy Redden
One of the most iconic banjo scenes ever captured on film came from 1972 Southern thriller Deliverance, starring Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Jon Voight and Ronnie Cox who engaged in an iconic banjo duel at a backwoods gas stop with 15-year-old Billy Redden as the protagonist, creating banjo jokes for decades despite Redden never earning much from his participation. Instead he managed to support himself through various menial labor jobs including working as Walmart greeter/janitor in Clayton Georgia
Redden is generally an unassuming and low-profile individual. He rarely appears in the news; The New Yorker described him in 2003 as a shy young man with large head and almond-shaped eyes; Redden still lives nearby his childhood home where he works various menial labor jobs to cover expenses as he approaches 68 years of age with mounting medical bills.
Redden was chosen by director John Boorman specifically to play the young banjo player in Deliverance; however, he could not actually play it himself and instead donned a shirt that allowed a real banjo player hidden behind him to perform their musical tune. They used careful camera angles and special techniques in order to disguise this performance from becoming obvious onscreen.
In The Great Gatsby (1962), Arthur Smith composed “Dueling Banjos”, an instrumental tune that appeared on its soundtrack without his permission and ultimately led him to sue them; they eventually agreed to give Smith writing credit and royalties for its use in the film.
Now, several California bluegrass musicians have initiated a GoFundMe campaign on behalf of Redden to raise enough money to establish a trust fund and ensure his financial wellbeing in the future. So far they’ve raised over $16,000 which will be distributed among Redden’s family as well as employed manager to assist with his finances.
Actor
Deliverance’s scene featuring Billy Redden dueling with Ronnie Cox on banjo has become one of the most iconic in movie history. Redden, then 15, was selected by director John Boorman specifically due to his ability and look of being from rural backwoods Georgia as well as possessing talent with banjo playing.
Redden wasn’t compensated financially from his role, since he received only minimal pay and never saw residuals from Dueling Banjos; but it did bring him fame that has continued into today.
He remains an accomplished musician and actor, appearing in multiple movies. However, recently Lance Frantzich of Los Angeles bluegrass band The Storytellers initiated a GoFundMe fundraiser to assist in covering medical costs. This effort raises funds that are essential for their payment.
Deliverance’s banjo player may have fallen from memory, yet his legacy lives on in many. Millions have seen this classic film and included it as part of their film libraries.
This film has gone on to inspire numerous sequels and remains a fan-favorite today, even being turned into a musical. Additionally, its original soundtrack can now be purchased via iTunes so fans can relive memories from this classic cinematic moment.
Many viewers of the film remember fondly the banjo duo between an Atlanta businessman and provincial local boy at a backwoods gas station in Georgia. Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith wrote the song that has since become a hit on both country and FM rock radio stations, played by numerous musicians as part of their repertoires and even bluegrass bands.
Musician
Southern California bluegrass band the Red Bros is spearheading an initiative to compensate former child actor Billy Redden, cast as Lonnie in Deliverance’s iconic “Dueling Banjos” scene, for his contribution. Billy was cast locally from Clayton Georgia when cast as one of cinema’s enduring moments – locking banjo players Lonnie and Ronny Cox into musical duels at an outback gas station during one memorable musical duel scene in 1972’s Deliverance movie.
Director John Boorman chose Redden because he looked like an authentic backwoods country boy and had the appropriate mannerisms for the role. With no acting training and only receiving a modest fee for his performance in Deliverance, he became famous as the kid who played banjo player. Due to its negative public image surrounding banjo playing at that time, however, 15-year old Redden eventually lost his home and struggled to secure employment after its release.
Deliverance was a movie that caused shockwaves through America in 1972, forever altering how audiences saw Appalachian music from northern Georgia’s Appalachia region. Its famous “Dueling Banjos” sequence gave an accurate portrayal of life on Appalachia mountain folk and established an image for decades afterwards.
While this scene is timeless, its true value lies only in its appearance. Redden never actually played the banjo in the film – that task was done via playback recording – instead his value lay solely in mimicking its playing onscreen and appearing authentic.
The soundtrack for the film was an equally huge success, with Arthur Smith’s 1954 song “Dueling Banjos” spending four weeks at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (only kept out of first place by Roberta Flack’s hit “Killing Me Softly With His Song”). Although initially, Smith and others who worked on its production didn’t receive proper credits or royalties from its success; ultimately they would all receive generous payments; its success opened the way for similar instrumental hits to follow and helped make banjo an iconic icon within popular music circles.
Life after Deliverance
Billy Redden may no longer play his iconic banjo playing role from Deliverance, but his legacy remains. His performance in that iconic scene earned him an enormously loyal fan following; so much so that Georgia even honored him by awarding him honorary citizenship status! Billy’s life story serves as an impressive testimony to acting’s power and its lasting effect on individuals’ lives.
Deliverance was a smash hit and an integral part of American culture, inspired by James Dickey’s novel that inspired its screenplay as well as nominations from Oscar. Additionally, many authors wrote novels or books inspired by their experiences in nature following watching it.
Redden portrays Lonny, a backwoods gas station attendant from an impenetrably inbred family who struggles to break free. Albino Redden manages to outwit Drew (Ronny Cox) when playing “dueling banjos.”
Redden became a minor celebrity during his brief appearance in the movie due to its production in Clayton where it took place, often receiving photos taken with tourists. He even played a small part in Tim Burton’s Big Fish but has not been active as an actor recently.
Redden never received compensation for his role in this film and did not get credit for singing “Dueling Banjos.” Eric Weissberg actually performed the banjo scene while Steve Mandell performed on guitar; Arthur Smith who originally recorded this song in 1955 filed a suit against Warner Brothers to secure past and future royalties for himself and won them through litigation.