Smith, Arthur “Guitar Boogie” (1st April 1921-3rd April 2014)

Country music musician, songwriter and record producer born in Clinton, South Carolina, who may not be a household name but wrote the most popular banjo instrumental of all time, “Feudin’ Banjos”, which survived through several entities, as “Banjo Breakdown” by Rusty York & Willard Hale, and eventually as “Dueling Banjos” from the 1973 film Deliverance.  Smith originally recorded “Feudin’ Banjos” with bluegrass legend Don Reno.

He was inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame and North Carolina Hall of Fame in 1998 and 2010 respectively.

He died at home in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2014 just after his 93rd birthday.

Rusty York & Willard Hale recordings
Banjo Breakdown

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_%22Guitar_Boogie%22_Smith
2. http://shop.cmt.com/50-Years-of-Dueling-Banjos-Instrumental-Country_stcVVproductId3597793VVcatId423548VVviewprod.htm