“Hee-Haw” Banjo Legend and “Jolene” Player Buck Trent Has Died
Listen to this obituary on YouTube
When you played on Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” and “Jolene,” were a member of Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys and Porter Wagoner’s Wagon Masters, and racked up more awards and recognition than any mantle could handle, you could definitely say you did your part to keep the flame of country music burning for multiple generations.
This was the charmed and accomplished life that banjo maestro Buck Trent enjoyed. But perhaps he was best-known and most-recognized for his many appearances on Hee-Haw with close friend and collaborator Roy Clark. Trent’s signature catch phrase “Uh-huh, oh yeah!” with outstretched thumbs made him a fan favorite and hard to forget.
Born is Spartanburg, South Carolina on February 17th, 1938, Charles Wilburn “Buck” Trent showed promise at a very early age as a talented musician. He started playing the “Hawaiian guitar” at the age of 7. By the age of 11, he was performing on local radio stations such as WSPA and WORD. Along with banjo and steel guitar, Trent was also talented with the dobro, mandolin, as well as regular guitar and bass.
But the banjo is what Buck Trent would forge his legacy with, including being credited as the inventor of the electric banjo. Early in his career, Trent traveled to Texas and California to find work as a musician, performing on Town Hall Party and Hometown Jamboree on the West Coast, and starting his own band in San Angelo. He moved to Nashville in 1959 to play in the band of Bill Carlisle who made regular appearances on the Grand Ole Opry, and this is when Buck’s career really took off.
Bill Monroe saw Buck Trent’s talent, and took him off of Bill Carlisle’s hands. Then Porter Wagoner picked Bill Monroe’s pocket, and placed him in the Wagon Masters. It was during his time with Wagoner that Trent innovated the electric banjo with steel guitar master Shot Jackson.
Buck Trent became a mainstay behind Porter Wagoner for many years, and this is how he was able to work himself onto the recordings of Dolly Parton who also started in the Wagoner camp. He left Wagoner right around the same time Dolly did near the beginning of 1974, and started working with fellow banjo man Roy Clark. The two won the CMA’s Instrumentalist Group of the Year in 1975 and 1976, and also became part of the first country roadshow to tour the Soviet Union.
When Roy Clark became the host of Hee-Haw beside another Buck, Buck Trent joined the cast as well, performing on the show for the better part of 20 years. This gave Buck more of a public profile, and he took advantage of it by releasing scores of solo albums, eventually recording fifteen in total, while also performing on the albums of many others throughout the era.
When the Hee-Haw universe dissolved, Buck Trent headed to Branson, Missouri where he became a mainstay and a foundation for the city’s talent. He didn’t disappear from television entirely though. He was a favorite guest and auxiliary player on The Marty Stuart Show from 2008 to 2015, and also played on Stuart’s excellent 2012 album Nashville: Tear The Woodpile Down where he is named as a featured performer on the title track.
Though it was Buck Trent’s hillbilly put-on that made him so endearing to audiences, it was his world-beating musicianship that earned him the respect of his musical peers in country music and well beyond. Though Roy Clark is best known as the Hee-Haw banjo player, Buck Trent was right beside him bolstering those blazing banjo runs, while his work was featured on some of the most iconic recordings in country music history.
Buck Trent died on October 9, 2023 at the age of 85, leaving a legacy behind that can be counted well beyond five strings.
October 10, 2023 @ 11:16 am
He was great no doubt. Just had an infectious personality, and talent to match.
October 10, 2023 @ 12:54 pm
In 1974 he teamed with Roy Clark to record the album A Pair of Fives (Banjos That Is). A phenomenal record, it served as my introduction to bluegrass. RIP Buck.
October 10, 2023 @ 1:24 pm
Lovely tribute but one question. Was George Hamilton 1V not the first country artist to tour in the Soviet Union?
“The International Ambassador of Country Music” (BILLBOARD MAGAZINE) in Red Square, Moscow, Soviet Union, March 1974.
Looking into the George Hamilton IV Collection (20410) recently, we were reminded that this month is the 42nd Anniversary of George Hamilton IV being the first performer to take American folk-country music “Behind The Iron Curtain.” His 1974 performances and lecture concerts at the Palace of Railway Workers and Moscow University were the first for an American country music performer. Other “first” performances on this tour were in Hungary, Poland, and in former Czechoslovakia, where Hamilton performed four sold-out Concerts for over 28,000 fans at the Sports Arena in Prague. It’s no surprise that later that year, Billboard Magazine began to refer to Hamilton as the “International Ambassador of Country Music.”
October 10, 2023 @ 2:45 pm
Yeah, I wondered that myself when writing this, and reading up how Buck and Roy Clark toured the Soviet Union “first.”
I think the best way to explain it is that they’re both right. Clearly George Hamilton IV was the first to go over there, but it was more in an “Ambassador” role, giving talks and illustrative performance, while Buck Trent and Roy Clark were more of a touring act there for entertainment.
October 10, 2023 @ 3:26 pm
Roy,Buck and The Oak Ridge Boys toured The Soviet Union together
October 10, 2023 @ 3:55 pm
*And, brought Love to the Iron Curtain, i’m sure.
October 14, 2023 @ 12:15 pm
my condolences to the family from Ralph Stanley ll cousin Kenneth Stanley in Mangum Oklahoma
October 10, 2023 @ 4:22 pm
If Kyle allows me to share this, with the white hot hatred he has for me, then would love to share it.
Red Skelton, from about a million years ago, performed this spoken song, as it were.
It is just as important today as it was a million years ago.
https://youtu.be/kOdUlhEWltk?si=gcC_Rwh3AYp8N9bx
October 12, 2023 @ 5:49 am
What does a Red Skelton Christmas recording have to do with the late Buck Trent??????
October 12, 2023 @ 9:15 am
Love?
Buck toured the Soviet Union & brought, along with his immense talent, love.
Was mainly responding to Darrick’s statement.
October 12, 2023 @ 5:55 pm
That still makes no sense. Red Skelton did not tour the Soviet Union.
October 12, 2023 @ 7:36 pm
When you have some spare time, click on the link.
October 13, 2023 @ 5:09 am
I already did click on the link. That’s how I know it’s an 8 minute Red Skelton Christmas story that has nothing to do with Buck Trent or touring the Soviet Union or this thread. Sorry but this makes no sense in relation to this topic.
October 10, 2023 @ 5:16 pm
Buck Trent and his electric banjo helped create the Porter Wagoner sound of the 1960s. My dad was a huge Porter Wagoner fan so because of that I probably have a deeper knowledge of Porter and his music than most. I think Porter’s 1960s work is very under appreciated. And of course Buck Trent was the backbone of that Porter sound during those years. To me…the creation of the Porter Wagoner sound was his greatest contribution. Buck Trent created a unique sound with that electric banjo which still jumps out to me today every time I hear him play on old records. Thank you Mr. Trent for being a pioneer and having a great impact on country music through your work. Also, thanks to you Trigger for this obituary and remembering him and his contribution to country music history.
October 10, 2023 @ 6:54 pm
You nailed his accomplishments. Carlisle, Monroe, Wagoner, Parton— all Hall of Famers. And that is exactly where Buck Trent should be. Why he has not been considered for the Country Music Hall of Fame is beyond mind blowing. He would be prefect for the touring/recording musician category. Like Floyd Cramer, Buck Trent was a musician who went on to establish a personal recording career. But I feel Buck exceeded Cramer in others areas, namely television and tourism. When you look at his career as a whole, he’s a Hall of Famer.
October 10, 2023 @ 7:18 pm
I just listened to “Jolene” and it sounds more like a classical guitar than a banjo to me. Buck is definitely playing the electric banjo on “Muleskinner Blues”, though.
October 11, 2023 @ 5:24 am
Sad to see but a life well lived. I watched hee haw quite a bit but can’t specifically remember him. Even after looking at pictures from him performing on there. But my memory isn’t what it used to be. May he rest in peace.
October 11, 2023 @ 3:11 pm
My favorite song by Buck hwas “Until Dawn” an ethereal, reflective piece that showed his quieter side, miles from Hee Haw:
https://youtu.be/86TtPtYscjg?si=fuVLn3Cwez6lXWVk
October 11, 2023 @ 7:53 pm
I always enjoyed him on Hee Haw. Such a great musician.
October 12, 2023 @ 7:15 am
Sad to lose another unique talent from country music’s golden era. A remarkable instrumentalist that made his complex licks look so easy. His wonderful sense of humor and joy of performing was clearly on display whenever he was on stage or in front of the TV cameras.
Buck’s electric banjo provided the innovative effect that gave many of Porter Wagoner’s most memorable recordings a unique sound & style including duets with Dolly Parton.
Buck described the creation of his electric banjo in this 2013 video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG3Zvj63pK4
Buck was truly a key player in Porter’s Wagonmasters band for more than a decade. However in Porter’s 1992 biography [A Satisfied Mind” by Steve Eng] Buck’s name was not mentioned even once!!!
Here is the mono single version of the Porter Wagoner song most associated with Buck’s electric banjo “The Carroll County Accident.” The stereo LP version commonly available on CD has several differences with the mono 45 hit single. Clearly they are two different recordings. On the hit single version Porter adds the word “now” prior to the line “..Walter Browning was a happy married man…” and adds the word “and” prior to the line “no one even doubted what she said was true…” The LP version adds the word “and” prior to the line “..he wore a golden wedding ring upon his hand…”
Cannot imagine this song without Buck’s memorable electric banjo licks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZHbuCsgOF8
RIP Buck
October 12, 2023 @ 11:26 am
R.I.P. Buck. You’re my favorite
October 12, 2023 @ 6:49 pm
Loved his enthusiasm and love of playing music. RIP Mr Buck
October 14, 2023 @ 7:54 pm
I am so sorry for the loss I grew up listen to Porter wagoner country boy Eddie Buck and all of them even Dolly pardon buck will be truly miss ???? prayers for everyone!!
October 15, 2023 @ 10:21 pm
Buck didn’t play the electric banjo on Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” and “I will always love You”. He played an electric Gibson Guitar on them and you can see him playing that guitar backing Dolly on reruns of that song on porter wagoner videos and credits on CD inner jackets.
There’s a video of Porter Wagoners 50th Grand Ole Opry Celebration of Dolly singing to Porter,I Will Always Love You”,and Buck Trent plays his Gibson electric guitar on it. The video is on YouTube from 2007 shortly before Porter died.
Buck was only on 2 episodes of the RFD tv Marty Stuart Show. I met him a few times. He was humble and a Master of Country Music.
October 15, 2023 @ 11:17 pm
Buck Trent definitely played on those tracks, though I’ve seen varying reports on exactly what he played. I’m not sure it’s fair to draw conclusion from videos since he may have played numerous instruments on the tracks. Either way, I’ve removed the attribution of “banjo” on the tracks.
October 16, 2023 @ 4:12 pm
I first heard an electric banjo on a Pee Wee King recording from the late 1940’s
October 16, 2023 @ 7:01 pm
Buck sent a Buck TRENT thumb pick by my Florida friends who told him their fla Tenn friend was a Trent from E Tennessee anf played Banjo!! Guilty on all counts _or at least trying. Always hoped to go to see Buck and ask for another one. Wore that one out long ago Thanks for the Buck Trent pick,
And life lived and music that Inspired,
Lowell Trent
October 17, 2023 @ 5:59 am
Back in the 60’s Hee Haw was a decent show we were allow to watch in our home. I liked Buck Trent and Roy Clark and Grandpa Jones. As children not so much the music but it was entertaining. I wish I had a chance to meet Buck Trent. May his sleep be serene. Going by all the comment he was a humble person. That’s say a lot.