The legendary bluegrass musician known as the “First Lady of the Banjo” has passed away at the age of 85. A beloved guest on the hit variety show Hee Haw and a cherished member of the famous country music group The Stoneman Family, she left an indelible mark on the world of country music.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum confirmed her death, announcing that she passed away on Wednesday. Born Veronica Loretta Stoneman, she was the youngest of three daughters born to Ernest “Pop” Stoneman, a pioneering country musician, and Hattie Stoneman, a fiddle player.
Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, paid tribute, saying, “She was an integral part of a bedrock country music family, and for eighteen years on Hee Haw, she stole scenes as a skillful banjo player and as a comical, gap-toothed country character.” A cause of death has not been provided.
Born into a family with deep musical roots, her father, Pop Stoneman, moved from Galax, Virginia, to New York City to pursue a music career, recording the early 1920s hit “The Sinking of the Titanic.” Music was a constant presence in their home, with her mother, Hattie, playing the fiddle.
By the mid-1950s, the Stoneman family, including Roni, was performing together and gaining popularity through various TV appearances. They had their own TV show called Those Stonemans in the late 1960s and won the CMA Award for Vocal Group of the Year in 1967.
After her father’s death in 1968, she joined the cast of Hee Haw in the 1970s, where she became famous for her banjo playing, comedic skills, and distinctive gap-toothed smile. She continued performing with her sister Donna throughout the 1980s. Donna, known as “The First Lady of the Mandolin,” performed with Roni as recently as 2020, as reported by the newsletter Banjo.
She leaves behind a legacy as a trailblazing bluegrass musician and a beloved figure in the country music community. She will be deeply missed by her sister Donna and the countless fans who cherished her contributions to music and entertainment.
