Before stars like Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton, and Shania Twain took over country music, there were artists like Roni Stoneman. Sharing her love for both country music and comedy, the star quickly became known as the “First Lady of Banjo” given her mastery of the instrument. Her unique presence on the stage even led her to hold a spot on the country music show Hee Haw. While continuing to perform with her sister in 2020, recently, news broke that the star passed away at 85.
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Although known for her time on Hee Haw, Roni came from a musical family that was made up of 23 children. Performing in the Stoneman Family band, the musician quickly took over the spotlight as the group was once one of the most famous bands in country music. The band received numerous awards including the Country Music Association Award for Vocal Group of the Year in 1969. She also found herself inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame just a few years ago.
With a prosperous career in country music, the CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Kyle Young, took a moment to remember the icon. “For Roni Stoneman, known as ‘The First Lady of the Banjo,’ country music was a birthright and her life’s work. The second youngest of 23 children born to Hattie and Ernest ‘Pop’ Stoneman, Roni was an integral part of a bedrock country music family, who were longtime fixtures in the country music scene of Washington, DC. For 18 years on ‘Hee Haw,’ she stole scenes as both a skillful banjo player and as a comical, gap-toothed country character. She was a great talent and a strong woman.”
Fans Remember Roni Stoneman
Country music fans also took a moment to remember Roni, writing on Twitter, “Roni was a jewel….I was so happy to meet her and see her and Mona Jo Griffin play banjos together at my Aunt Gail’s house in NC a few years ago She was so nice and loved making us all laugh. May she rest in peace and play that banjo high in the sky!!”
Learning to play the banjo at a young age, Roni used her love and talent to create a legacy that continues today.
(Roni Stoneman “the House of the Rising Sun,” n.d.)
