Who's Who In Knickerbocker Village History: Eric Weissberg

The Weissberg's were living at 32 Monroe Street in 1940. Eric was only one. His parents were Will and Cecile. from Eric's site Considered by aficionados to be one of the best five-string banjo players ever, Eric Weissberg has been a major force on the folk scene and a ubiquitous prescence on the studio scene for more than four decades. He attended The Little Red School House in Greenwich Village, where he started playing banjo and guitar at the age of seven and violin at ten. Then to the High School of Music and Art as a string bass major, continuing at the University of Wisconsin and The Juilliard School of Music. He taught himself bluegrass style banjo at the age of eleven by slowing down 78rpm records, and in 1958 he was a founding father of the New York bluegrass trio "The Greenbriar Boys". He joined the folk group "The Tarriers" in 1959, recording and touring worldwide for six years. As a top New York studio musician Eric has done over six thousand sessions - jingles, movie tracks, and records - playing guitar, pedal steel guitar, mandolin, Dobro, and fiddle as well as banjo for such diverse artists as Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand, John Denver, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Arlo, The Talking Heads, Bruce Springsteen, Doc Watson, Judy Collins, Bette Midler, Buddy Rich, Shanana, Jim Croce, Rick Danko and many others. In 1967 he performed the world premiere of Earl Robinson's Concerto for Five-string Banjo, with Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops. He had a number one single and album with "Dueling Banjos", the soundtrack from "Deliverance" which earned him two gold records and a "Grammy" award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. He is a five-time winner of the New York N.A.R.A.S "Most Valuable Player" award and a Virtuoso award. Lately Eric has reappeared on the live scene singing and picking music in concert, both solo and as accompanist.