A Wild and Crazy Banjo Player
Steve Martin added a new line to his résumé this year — on top of being a comedian, actor and author, the funnyman is a touring banjo performer, following the release of his album The Crow. Martin wrote 14 of the disc’s 15 songs, which he performs with the help of Dolly Parton, Bela Fleck and several renowned bluegrass musicians. Martin has used the banjo in his comedy act for decades but over time became more serious about the instrument (he put a banjo in each room of his house about 10 years ago to make sure one was always at hand). In 2002, he shared a Grammy Award for performing on a celebrated Earl Scruggs album the previous year. Martin’s tour this fall is taking him to music venues all over the country, including Carnegie Hall.
