Sandy Riner - Mr. Banjo
Our beloved Sandy passed away August 27, 2003, all his Shriner friends deeply miss him.
The professional
career of SANDY RINER, known the country over as "MR. BANJO," has reached the
sixty year mark. Sandy's career started with a dance band in South Bend,
Indiana, where he was born and lived most of his life. At the age of fifteen,
he was a regular on a weekly radio show. In the late 50's, he had his own
weekly TV musical show in Indiana plus many guest appearances on TV shows
nationwide.
He has been the headliner for many banjo bashs from coast to coast, appearing with the International Banjo Festival as one of the featured soloists on a concert tour throughout the major cities of West Germany. In addition to his many concerts, he formed the Sahib Shrine Banjo Band in Sarasota, Florida and filled the positions of Director, Master of Ceremonies and arranger for many years and has been awarded the position of Banjo Band Director Emeritus.
Sandy's showmanship is enjoyed by all who see him and his humor adds greatly to his musical presentations. His peers look upon him as a top master of his instrument, the tenor banjo. He has served as president two years of the Fretted Instrument Guild of America, a national organization of amateur and professional musicians who play fretted type stringed instruments. Since 1992 he has served as the headline act at the Boggstown Inn & Cabaret in Boggstown, Indiana appearing June thru October doing luncheon & dinner shows. Sandy and his lovely wife Eunice have resided on the West Coast of Florida for the past twenty years. Their son and daughter and grandchildren are also Floridians.
Sandy is a Charter Member of Sahib Shriners, he affiliated from Mizpah Shriners in Fort Wayne, Indiana in July 1981.
The Showboat Connection
Order his stereo tapes:
Sandy's
Touch
Mr.
Banjo Plays The Oldies
Just
Banjo & Bass
The National Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame Museum
Nice and Easy "Mr. Banjo" solos by Sandy Riner