The American Banjo Museum in Oklahoma City has announced the 2026 inductees into their American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame.
Artists are chosen each year from six different categories to ensure that all areas of banjo music are represented, including the earliest days of recorded music in the United States.
These individuals will be officially received into the Hall of Fame during the Museum’s big Banjo Fest weekend, October 8-10 in Oklahoma City.
The following are going into the Hall of Fame (descriptions courtesy of the Museum).
Mark Johnson – Five-String Performance – Primarily known as the inventor of the Clawgrass style of banjo (which many call the “third style” of five-string banjo playing after the clawhammer and Scruggs three-finger styles), Mark is both a highly respected player and composer of contemporary acoustic music. Johnson’s unique style doesn’t really fit into a strict category…it’s very bluegrass but has overtones of traditional folk, progressive acoustic, Newgrass and old-time all mixed into one. As a testament to his contributions to the expansion of the musical potential of the five-string banjo, in 2012 Mark received the third annual Steve Martin Award for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass Music.
Howard Alden – Four-String Performance – Although internationally recognized as a jazz guitar master, Howard Alden began his musical career in the 1960s playing the tenor banjo and has recently returned to his banjo roots. As a young banjoist with an innate musical curiosity and uncanny sense of swing, Alden was ultimately attracted to the broader musical range and jazz acceptability of the guitar, lending his immense talents to concerts, recordings and major Hollywood film soundtracks. However, recent years have seen him apply his decades of jazz study and musical maturity to the tenor banjo, elevating the instrument to new heights of acceptance in the jazz genre.
David “Stringbean” Akeman – Historical – Known to millions simply as “Stringbean,” David Akeman was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and comedian who is best remembered for his role as a main cast member on the hit television show Hee Haw, and as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Akeman was well known for his “old-fashioned” banjo-picking style, a careful mix of comedy and music, and his memorable comic stage wardrobe. Before the comedy, Akeman helped define bluegrass music during a three-year stint with Bill Monroe’’s Blue Grass Boys prior to teaming with Grandpa Jones in the late 1940s when they both became beloved and lifelong members of the Grand Ole Opry.
Brent Hayes – Historical/Early – Considered one of the greatest plectrum banjoists of the early 20th century, Brent Hayes – who was known by his stage name, Scargold – was a true concert artist of the highest order. Donning scarlet and gold Royal Canadian Mounted Police stage attire, Hayes wowed audiences both visually and musically, performing a variety of classical and popular music on an instrument that was just beginning to gain acceptance in a concert hall setting. Pioneering plectrum right hand strumming techniques such as duo-style (the impression that two people are playing at the same time), and using a foot operated muting mechanism that expanded the dynamic possibilities for the banjo, Hayes created a unique sound and style that established him as top performer in concert venues across the United States, Europe, Asia, and South America.
Banjomania – Promotion – The unique performing group known as Banjomania is the brainchild of banjoist and promoter Steve Simpson. Organized in 1984, Banjomania differs from other banjo bands in that it features both the four and five string banjo, playing both the varied repertoire associated with each instrument while often seamlessly intermingling the two styles. Segueing through various personnel – including HOF banjoists Doug Mattocks and Brad Roth – during their initial 14 year run, Banjomania became a headline concert and recording act, touring nationally, appearing on the Grand Ole Opry, the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, and being regular guest stars on Nashville Network programs such as Nashville Now and Crook and Chase. Banjomania recently reunited for a new recording entitled Painting the Clouds with Sunshine.
Bill Dendle – Education & Innovation – In addition to being a masterful banjoist, musician and entertainer, California’s Bill Dendle remains a tireless and world-renowned advocate of jazz education for young musicians. Subsequent to a performance career which saw him entertain at Mickie Finn’s in San Deigo, Capone’s Warehouse in Monterey, California and The Empress Lilly at Walt Disney World in Florida, in his role as a respected educator Dendle has taught thousands of aspiring jazz musicians at camps and festivals around the country. Most notably, his leadership role of the Sacramento Jazz Camp is credited with the city remaining a center for traditional jazz activity, as well as the banjo’s role in jazz being brought to the attention of mainstream jazz educators worldwide.
In addition to housing the Hall of Fame, the American Banjo Museum features a wealth of exhibits, including more than 400 banjos of every sort, sheet music, and other collections of interest to banjo fans and players.
More information can be found online.
