Don Reno Vinyl Records

Don Reno (born Donald Reno Hensely, April 27, 1927 – October 16, 1984) was an American bluegrass musician and banjo player. He is considered one of the most influential five-string banjo players in the history of the instrument. He was a pioneer in the development of the three-finger style of playing.

Reno's first recordings were made in 1945 with a group called The Tennessee Cutups. He had a solo recording career beginning in 1951 and in 1952 he joined Bill Harrell and The Tennessee Cutups, which included Red Smiley on guitar and vocals, and Curly Seckler on mandolin and vocals.

Reno and Harrell recorded a number of notable albums and singles, including "The Tennessee Cutup Breakdown" (1955), "Banjo in the Hills" (1958), "Sugar Hill Special" (1959), and "Beneath Those Lone Star Skies" (1961). Reno and Harrell's best-known song is the 1963 hit single, "Feudin' Banjos," which was later featured in the movie Deliverance.

Reno also had success with a duet partner, Red Smiley, who sang and played guitar. They recorded a number of albums, including "Songs From the Hills" (1961) and "Bluegrass Spectacular" (1964). Some of their more popular songs include "I'm Working on a Road (To Glory Land)", "The Little Girl and the Dreadful Snake", and "I'm Gonna Love You One More Time".

Reno was a major influence on many other banjo players, including Earl Scruggs, who cited him as a major influence. An interesting fact about Don Reno is that he was the first person to use the three-finger banjo style, which is now the most common form of banjo playing.