Dwight Diller (August 17, 1946 – 14 February 2023) was an American

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and in modern forms is usually made of plastic, where early membranes were made of animal skin. ...

and

fiddle A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...

player and teacher. He was considered one of the most prominent exponents of the

clawhammer Clawhammer, sometimes called down-picking, overhand, or most commonly known as frailing, is a distinctive banjo playing style and a common component of American old-time music. The style likely descends from that of West African lutes, suc ...

banjo tradition. Diller lived in

Hillsboro, West Virginia Hillsboro is a town in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 232 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. History Hillsboro was named for pioneer John (Richard) Hill, from N ...

, and then

Marlinton Marlinton is a town in and the county seat of Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 998 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Located along the Greenbrier River, it is known for its scenery. History Marlint ...

, and was an inheritor of the

old-time music Old-time music is a genre of North American folk music. It developed along with various North American folk dances, such as square dancing, contra dance, clogging, and buck dancing. It is played on acoustic instruments, generally centering ...

tradition of the Hammons Family of West Virginia. He conducted banjo workshops around the United States and in England. He released a number of recordings and instructional videos.

External links

Dwight Diller official site
from Banjo News (and Wayback) American banjoists Appalachian old-time fiddlers Old-time musicians 1946 births People from Pocahontas County, West Virginia Living people Place of birth missing (living people) People from Hillsboro, West Virginia 21st-century American violinists {{US-violinist-stub