‘First Lady of Banjo’ Roni Stoneman Dies at 85
The woman known as the ‘First Lady of the Banjo’ has died at age 85.
Roni Stoneman, known for her gap-toothed grin and eager persona, was the 22nd of 23 children born into a country music family led by patriarch and bluegrass legend Ernest “Pop” Stoneman. She got her start performing in the Stoneman Family band—of which she was the last surviving member.
The family band rose to prominence after winning a music competition called “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts” in 1956, according to Billboard. The family would later parlay their notoriety into a syndicated 1960s television show called Those Stonemans.