Stephen Arnold Mandell ( c. 1941 – March 14, 2018) [1] [2] was an American bluegrass guitarist and banjoist. Most notably, he is known for the 1973 instrumental hit " Dueling Banjos", recorded in duo with Eric Weissberg [3] and was awarded a Grammy.
Life and career
Mandell was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and grew up in Mount Vernon and New Rochelle, New York. [1] In the early 1960s, along with mandolinist David Grisman, he was part of the Garrett Mountain Boys. [4] In the 1960s and 1970s, Mandell was a prominent session musician, and he played on Judy Collins [3] live album The Judy Collins Concert (1964) and studio album True Stories and Other Dreams (1973), among others.
In 1972, Mandell recorded " Dueling Banjos" with another session musician, Eric Weissberg. In 1973, the single peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, [5] No. 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles, and No. 1 on Adult Contemporary chart, and the tune was the theme of the 1972 film Deliverance. [2] The song was also nominated for the 1972 Golden Globe Awards in the Best Original Song category. [6] "Dueling Banjos" won the 1974 Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance. [1]
In 1973, the album Dueling Banjos by Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. [7]
Mandell also worked on Broadway, and played in the 1976 musical The Robber Bridegroom. He also recorded advertising jingles. [4]
In 1988, he left New York and moved to Baltimore. He died of prostate cancer on March 14, 2018, at the age of 76. [1] [3] He was an Owings Mills, Maryland resident at the time of his death.
References
- ^ a b c d "Stephen A. Mandell, Grammy award-winning guitarist for "Dueling Banjos," dies". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^ a b "Steven Mandell passes". bluegrasstoday.com. 14 March 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
- ^ a b c "Deliverance's 'Dueling Banjos': An Unlikely Hit". bestclassicbands.com. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^ a b "Steve Mandell of 'Dueling Banjos' Fame Dies". jmoreliving.com. 15 March 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2003). Top Pop Singles 1955-2002. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 757. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
- ^ "Dueling Banjos". Golden Globe Award. Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Archived from the original on August 12, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2009). Joel Whitburn Presents Top Pop Albums. Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research Inc. p. 834. ISBN 978-0-89820-183-3.
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