Remembering “First Lady of the Banjo” Roni Stoneman (RIP)

It can be a big challenge to distinguish yourself from the crowd when you’re one of 23 children. But that’s exactly what Roni Stoneman did through her illustrious career as a banjo maestro, singer, actor, and comedian. It might be humor that Stoneman is most remembered for—namely her folksy character Ida Lee Nagger on the long-running variety show Hee-Haw. But her skills with the banjo were serious and vaunted, as was the family history that she proudly carried forward.
“They were passing through Washington, going to a picking job. And Mama said, ‘Hark, I feel a pain.’ And that was me!” Roni Stoneman once recalled about her birth on May 5th, 1938 during the throes of The Depression. Veronica Loretta Stoneman was No. 23, and the youngest of the litter from fiddle player Haddie Stoneman, and Ernest V. “Pop” Stoneman who’s considered one of the fathers of country music.
They peg the “Big Bang of Country Music” to 1927 and the Bristol Sessions in TN/VA. But in 1924, Ernest “Pop” Stoneman had a hit with “The Sinking of the Titanic.” He was set to become one of the first country music stars, but then the Great Depression hit, and Pop already had over a dozen mouths to feed. It wasn’t until 32 years later in 1956 and a random appearance on a quiz show that Pop’s music career was rekindled. A year later, Roni Stoneman would join the family band comprised of mom, pop, and numerous siblings.
Shortly after Roni joined on banjo, the family would win a contest on the televised Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts show, and quickly became regulars on TV shows of the era. 1962 saw their debut on the Grand Ole Opry, and soon The Stonemans became known as one of the most important family bands in country music. They officially moved from Washington D.C. to Nashville in 1966, even hosted their own series called Those Stonemans between 1966 and 1968. They also won the CMA’s Vocal Group of the Year award in 1967.
It was sweet justice to see Ernest “Pop” Stoneman recognized and find success before he passed away in 1968, which also ended the television show. The family band continued on, but highly regarded as a banjo player, Roni Stoneman was able to launch a solo career. This is how she first found her way onto the cast of Hee-Haw in 1973, right beside the banjomasters of the time such as Roy Clark and Grandpa Jones. As a woman in a man’s world at the time, it made Roni’s musicianship seem unique, earning her the moniker “The First Lady of the Banjo.”
Stoneman played a Gibson RB-250 Bow Tie banjo, and had her own technique that combined strong Scruggs-like fingerpicking with occasional frailing to emphasize certain phrases. Even when performing traditional country and bluegrass tunes, she always brought an element of humor to her performances.
Though her banjo skills would be highlighted on Hee-Haw for 18 years, it really was Roni’s hilarious character study into the nagging housewife and desperate spinster that put her on the map for many. Ida Lee Nagger with her gap teeth and ribbon tied in her hair became a fixture and favorite in the Hee-Haw cast opposite husband Lavern played by Gordie Tapp. Stoneman even would appear in other segments as Ida Lee not directly affiliated with the character.
Roni Stoneman wasn’t just the First Lady of the Banjo, she was also one of the last surviving members of the Stoneman legacy in country music. Autoharpist and older sister Patsy Stoneman passed away in 2015, leaving only Roni and her older sister and mandolin player Donna left. The two continued to perform up until 2020.
Roni Stoneman passed away on February 22nd, 2024. She was 85 years old.
March 2, 2024 @ 10:10 am
Good write up. She wasn’t very happy that her parents didn’t get more notoriety for being there at the beginnings of roots type music on the radio. Her mom could play but with 23 kids it wasnt something she had time to really do full time. Her mom also didn’t really want her to learn the banjo either and didn’t teach her. That came from her brother who was really good himself. Sorry about before, like I said, wasn’t trying to start anything.
March 2, 2024 @ 10:13 am
Met her one time during Fan Fair in the parking lot of the old Shoney’s on Demonbruen. They had a booth. She was awesome and funny as ever! Sad to hear she passed.
March 2, 2024 @ 1:42 pm
Met her a few years ago at a bar and grill place in Nashville on open mike night. She said she felt like coming down from the hills and pick a little. I still couldn’t place her in memory bank but she pulled out her banjo and did House of the Rising Sun as I’ve never heard it before. Didn’t figure out who she really was until the next day.
March 2, 2024 @ 4:51 pm
I’ve watched her on hee haw all my life loved to hear her play and sing
March 2, 2024 @ 7:20 pm
I have a lot of childhood memories of Roni she stayed at our house for a couple of months in DOdenton, Maryland. My dad played the fiddle and mandolin, I remember going to parks and play music together Roni would enter banjo contest of course she would always win. Roni always called my dad PeeWee because he was short.
March 2, 2024 @ 6:09 pm
Met her through her nephew at a local pub in Smyrna, Tn.She was a very nice and funny lady.She also play with her nephews band that night.Great times and memories. R.I.P. Miss Ronnie
March 2, 2024 @ 8:26 pm
Nice write-up. I discovered her late on Y-T doing “House of the Rising Sun” accompanied by her own banjo on Country Family Reunion, with Jimmy Capps, Roy Clark and others in the audience. I then went back and found her earlier work on Hee Haw. She did Dueling Banjos (or banjo v. guitar) with Capps. Funny, I don’t remember ever seeing a woman banjo player before, though I’m sure Roni was not the first.
March 2, 2024 @ 9:51 pm
Surprised to hear Roni Stoneman passed away she was so funny as Ida Lee Nagger on Hee Haw also she was a great banjo player along with Grandpa Jones Roy Clark Buck Trent Bobby Thompson and before he unfortunately passed away Stringbean
March 3, 2024 @ 7:28 am
I remember roni stonemen very well also.
She was quit a woman on hee haw watching her every saterday nite I realy enjoyed that over the years until it stopped its tv show and when I heard that year she was going to be in my hometown at the annual Galax Va fiddlers convention I wanted to go go to see her and I did actually got to meet her in person too she was a very sweet person and stood over next to the recreation office doors and showed some of us standing there some of her banjo talents and she autographed a hat I had bought there earlier that evening she will be missed long live roni stonemen and her music may god bless and be with her family
March 3, 2024 @ 7:39 am
Thank you for covering Roni; it’s such a shame that we don’t realize how legendary someone is until after they pass away. I never knew how steeped in bluegrass and banjo history she was, and it’s funny to see how her Hee-Haw character’s personality is just as fiery as the real deal. Thanks for the laughs and memories, Roni.
Also, here is another great write-up about her and the family: https://www.washingtonian.com/2024/02/29/remembering-dc-country-music-legend-roni-stoneman/
March 3, 2024 @ 8:01 am
I remember roni stonemen very well especially from the tv show hee haw I growed up watching her on that show and till today I still remember her playing as ida lee. One year I heard she was coming to my hometown to the annual Galax Va fiddlers convention and I went to see and hopefully of meeting her and I did she showed some of us her banjo talents too and she autographed a hat u had purchased earlier that evening I will “always” remember her long live a very talented woman
March 5, 2024 @ 12:34 pm
just found out a few minutes ago in the strangest way i was watching a youtube video of her and donna performing in 2018 and reading the comments and description i saw that the video had been posted 12 days ago in response to roni passing away. i really loved watching videos of roni and donna playing songs in their senior years they still played great and were so sweet to one another. roni was so proud of donnas ability with the mandolin and usually behaved when they were together saving her slightly off-color humour for when donna wasnt around. donna is a true christian and was visibly uncomfortable around roni’s shenanigans hehe. there are many videos on youtube of roni and her family performing there is also a wonderfull as told to biography “Pressing On: The Roni Stoneman Story by Roni Stoneman” that is easy and cheap to find in paperback if you want to learn more about this legendary musical family and its all told in roni’s hilariously funny voice.
long post sorry roni was really important to me though i never had to pleasure of meeting her or watching her perform live.
March 5, 2024 @ 3:26 pm
Roni was a hilarious comedienne, probably second only to Minnie Pearl among the female country acts. It was sad for me to read elsewhere that she felt a certain Hee Haw star blocked her from being able to play the banjo more often on the show, apparently not wanting the competition. RIP.
March 5, 2024 @ 8:49 pm
i heard that too and i am not gonna name the person because its just a rumor and i have also heard it wasn’t actually the performer but their management that was was blocking her. supposedly the performer or their managers insisted that roni’s banjo strings be taped down. terrible story either way.
March 8, 2024 @ 8:54 am
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/232565129.pdf – chapter 3: In one notable instance, Roni was dueling banjos with, and “outrunning,” Hee Haw star Roy Clark in a pre-taping warmup. Roni didn’t realize that the camera was on them, and to her horror, the episode was aired. She was disciplined for this in a peculiarly humiliating way. For a time she was not allowed to play with the Banjo Band; she was exiled to a bale of hay, her banjo strings taped mute.
March 7, 2024 @ 2:01 am
If you’re suggesting it was Roy Clark, I have to say that Roy Clark did not fear “competition” from anyone, whether it was Glen Campbell or Jimi Hendrix on electric or acoustic guitar or anybody on a banjo and he relished playing with anybody who could keep up with him.
Though it could be that Hee Haw limited playing opportunities for various performers, for reasons of pacing and timing and the fact that it was at least as much of a comedy show as it was a music show.
March 8, 2024 @ 1:03 pm
I recall reading either an autobiography or biography about her a few years ago where she recounts this issue with Hee Haw, her banjo playing and “another banjo player’s” supposed jealousy on the show. I can’t recall if she outright divulged his name.
December 21, 2024 @ 9:47 pm
Would that name be Grandpa jones
December 22, 2024 @ 7:45 am
As I recall, she mentioned Roy Clark.
March 7, 2024 @ 12:23 am
Watching cliops of her and her sister on Mandolin it is about the closet to a punk performance country can get. They way the jump and twitch. IT kind mind-blowing discovering them in the last ten years or so.
March 7, 2024 @ 8:02 am
I might make a Country History X episode out of this.
March 7, 2024 @ 7:36 am
I remember being a child sitting on my daddy lap on the evening hee haw was on . We watched all the greats … I will have great memories of my daddy laughing and loving country music and teaching me to love country music . R.I.P . Country music and HEE HAW… THE GREATS….. MAY YOU FLY ON GODS WINGS.